Golden Miracles
by Snapegirlkmf
Summary: Rumple and Belle prepare for the most momentous occasion of their lives-the long awaited birth of their twins. But even the best laid plans of sorcerers and librarians can go awry . . . A Gold Standard fic featuring Rumbelle and some Swanfire too!
1. False Alarm

**Golden Miracles**

A Once Gold Standard fic

Snapegirlkmf

**A/N: Dedicated to all the Rumbelle fans who hope this happens. . . and Robert Carlyle and Emilie de Ravin, of course!**

**Don't own, dearies!**

**1**

**False Alarm**

Belle was resting with her feet up on the couch and her head in Rumple's lap about three days after the incident with Rumple and Regina in Clark's Pharmacy when she felt a twinge in her lower back. She was very comfortable with her head on Rumple and snuggled underneath her quilt made for her by Nonna and the Tessaro women and so she ignored the pain at first.

There was a fire crackling in the grate and Nala was purring happily on her chest like a furry carburetor, her little body vibrating with purrs. The Christmas tree was still up and lit with the 1200 lights Belle had placed on it, making it so bright that Rumple almost didn't need a lamp to read by. Their collie puppy, Freya, was asleep on the hearth, with a blue ball beside her little nose.

The old Victorian was very quiet, since Alina and Jimmy were with Henry down at the stables, helping him groom and feed his buckskin horse, Arion. Rhea, Jack, Will, and Jess Sparrow had gone back to the Black Pearl for three days or so to make certain the ship was not under attack or worse from the Jolly Roger and to get some things from Rhea's tower to fortify Storybrooke against the invasion by Cora Miller and her zombie army.

That being so, Rumple and Belle were taking advantage of the quiet to relax with each other and Rumple was carding Belle's hair while reading aloud to her from _The Crimson Thread_.

Belle found her husband's hand and his voice so soothing that she felt her eyes start to close, despite the fact that she wanted to hear what happened in the story. She had just slipped into that twilight state between awake and asleep when her back twinged again.

Hissing softly, she shifted slightly, or tried to, but it wasn't easy with Nala atop her and her belly with its double burden weighing her down.

"Something the matter, dearie?" her husband asked solicitously.

"Just . . . a cramp in my lower back," she muttered. She was about three weeks from her official due date and was getting tired of being so huge and uncomfortable.

"Want me to massage it?" he asked softly.

"I don't know if you could reach it," Belle sighed.

"Maybe not with my hand, but I could with magic," he suggested.

"No, it's okay, Rumple. It's just a twinge. Keep reading, please."

Rumple nodded and kept on reading.

Fifteen minutes later, Belle was grimacing as the twinges kept getting more pronounced. The pain was starting to move around her back to her abdomen. In regular waves.

Frowning, Belle shifted again. It had been a long time since she had been pregnant, and couldn't really recall much of that time when she'd been carrying Alina because most of it had been focused on trying to keep her zealot father, Maurice, from locking her up or arguing with her about getting rid of her unborn child. But she thought her labor had begun just like this.

When the contractions kept coming with distressing regularity, she nudged Rumple and muttered, "Rumple . . . I think I'm in labor."

At first Gold didn't quite register what she was saying, involved as he was in reading the story, but then the word "labor" intruded into his narrative. "What did you say, Belle?"

"I said . . . I think I'm in labor."

Rumple's eyes widened in alarm and a frisson of anxiety shot through him like a jolt of lightning. "Umm . . . are you sure?"

Belle nodded, putting a hand on her belly. "They're . . . pretty regular, Rumple."

"How far apart are they?" he asked, trying to remain calm and recall what he had learned in their childbirthing classes.

"Umm . . . let me time them . . ." Belle looked at the blue leather watch on her wrist and started trying to do so.

On her chest, Nala woke and began kneading her sleepily.

Strangely, Belle didn't seem to mind the cat doing this. She concentrated, then said about fifteen minutes later, "Rumple, they're about fifteen minutes apart."

"Okay, dearie. Let's call Dr. Jo and tell her," he said, and summoned his cell.

Two minutes later he was speaking with their OB/GYN's answering service, who told them to go to the hospital for a labor check, since the doctor was on call there.

Gold gently removed Nala from Belle and put her on the couch, then helped his wife up and into her coat. He summoned her overnight bag from their bedroom and put it into the car, it had already been packed just in case days before. He warmed up the Cadillac and was glad that Jimmy had re-shoveled the driveway and the walk so he didn't have to worry about Belle falling when he helped her over to the car.

Ten minutes later he helped Belle into the passenger side and backed out of the driveway. Luckily the hospital was only ten minutes away, like everything here in Storybrooke from his house.

They arrived at Storybrooke General and went to the ER, where they were quickly ushered into a room and several minutes later they were seen by Dr. Jo, who was in her green scrubs, having just finished a case twenty minutes before.

"Hello, Belle! Hello, Rumple!" she greeted them. "My service tells me you think your twins are making an appearance rather early."

"I've been having pains for about half-an-hour now," Belle told her.

"Hmm . . . let me check and see if you're dilated," Dr. Jo said, and went to pull on some gloves.

Rumple looked at Belle uneasily. "Perhaps I'd better step outside for a minute, dearie." He usually wasn't present in the beginning of Belle's exams, only for the sonograms.

"Go on," Belle waved him away. "Things won't really start happening yet."

"When they do, let me know," Rumple said. "I'll be right outside here." He left the curtained room and stood in the ER hallway, fighting the need to pace up and down.

Five minutes later, Dr. Jo came out and said, "It's okay, Rumple. You can go back in and take her home."

"Why? Isn't she in labor?"

"No, it was a false alarm, honey. Those were Braxton Hicks contractions, false labor pains that women get a few weeks before they deliver. She's stopped having them, and she's not dilating any. Your babies have decided to wait a bit longer, I'm afraid." She patted Rumple's arm soothingly. "Sorry, Papa."

Rumple sighed. "Oh. I was sort of hoping . . ."

"I know. But all babies come in their own time."

He nodded. "You'd know better than anyone, wouldn't you?" He had a great respect for Dr. Jo, who had been a sorceress midwife back in Fairy Tale Land, and had lost a daughter to the Ogre Wars.

Dr. Jo chuckled. "Yes, I sure would. Call me if you need me, Rumple."

"I will. Have a good evening, dearie," Rumple bid her good night and then he and Belle returned home.

"I'm so sorry, Rumple," Belle apologized as they drove back. "I really thought I was in labor."

"Don't be sorry, dearie," Rumple soothed. "It happens. Sometimes your body can fool you. Next time we'll just wait a bit longer before we call Dr. Jo and go over to the hospital."

They arrived back home and Rumple went upstairs with Belle and gave her a soothing massage with some lavender oil, rubbing all the kinks out of her lower back with his sensitive fingers.

"How's that? Good?"

"Mmm . . ." Belle groaned as she lay on her side while Rumple worked his magic with his touch. "That feels so great, Rumple!" She tucked her arm under her head and closed her eyes, reveling in her husband's deft touch on her muscles there, which seemed extra sensitive as her time drew nearer.

Rumple continued massaging, using the tips of his fingers and the heel of his hands to ease all the stress from his wife's back, which he knew was often sore these days, though she rarely complained to him about it.

When he halted about ten minutes later, he saw that she had fallen asleep. Smiling tenderly at her, he wiped his hands on a towel and gently pulled down her nightshirt—it was the one Alice had gotten her that said _Nerd? I prefer intellectual badass_ on the front of it. Then he pulled the sheet up over her and kissed her cheek, murmuring, "Sweet dreams, angel of mine. I'll join you in about an hour. I just need to check up on Alina and Jimmy."

He returned downstairs to walk the puppy and wait for his daughter and Jimmy Jones, who though not technically related to him, was sort of like a foster son to him now, as he was Bae's half-brother.

Half-an-hour later, the two children returned home, tired and hungry, they said hello to Rumple and then went into the kitchen to fix themselves plates of leftovers from the food on Christmas Day. Since it was Friday, Rumple didn't bother telling Alina not to stay up late, simply bid her and Jimmy good night before going upstairs.

When he arrived back in his bedroom, he found Nala curled up on his pillow, as usual, and Belle still asleep, though her skin seemed to gleam with a pearlescent sheen, and faint motes of golden dust sparkled in the air above her.

Rumple went to pull on his pajamas, eyeing the manifestations of fairy magic warily, wondering if that were a sign that Belle was nearly ready to deliver. He picked up the book Rhea had gotten him for Christmas and began to read, but had to set it aside after a few pages, as he too was falling asleep.

He curled up around Belle, putting a hand on her belly, because he loved to feel the twins moving beneath his hand. He imagined what they would look like and he couldn't wait to meet them and hold them in his arms. It had been eleven years since he'd held an infant, and he was eager and excited to do it all over again.

He'd always felt that being a father was something special and magical, the most magical thing ever, and despite what the Blue Fairy thought, he wouldn't love these children any less because they happened to be gifted with fairy powers or traits. They were _his_ children, true love babies, the tangible expression of Belle's love for him and his for her, and he would love them forever and always, no matter what.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, and in his dreams he hugged two babies with dark blue eyes and his hair, rocking them back and forth and humming an old lullaby to them that he could recall singing to Bae and Alina at that age.

_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,_

_Go to sleep my wee bitty babies_

_Gloaming draws nigh, rock-a-bye_

_My wee bitty babies._

_The sheep are in the byre, the hearth is warm_

_And you are safe from harm,_

_Here in my arms, my wee ones._

_Down in the glen, where the heather grows_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye, my wee bitty babies._


	2. Cleaning Frenzy

**2**

**Cleaning Frenzy**

The Golds celebrated New Years Eve quietly, since the Sparrows were still in Fairy Tale Land, as the Pearl was in dry dock getting a refit, because another pirate ship had fired upon her and blown a hole in her. Jack wanted to oversee the repairs himself, and so Rhea opted to return to her tower with Jess herself, telling Rumple they would probably be another week or so. "Don't fret, old dragon. We'll be back before you know it . . . and before Cora invades Storybrooke."

Alice and Jeff came over, as did Bae, Emma, and Henry, and they all had fun playing silly games and eating appetizers and watching the New Years Eve party on TV.

New Years Day arrived and Belle had a sudden surge of energy and decided to go on a cleaning frenzy. She chased Jimmy, Freya, and Alina outside while she wielded a dust rag sprayed with Pledge and a Swiffer and attacked the downstairs like a dervish, dusting and mopping everything in sight, and vacumming up all the animal hair. When she had the downstairs all polished and shining, with the floor scrubbed so much you could have eaten off it, she called the kids and the dog back inside and told them to start taking down the decorations while she went and cleaned upstairs.

Rumple was in his study, doing some reconciliation on his accounts on his computer, when his wife breezed in with her dust rag and broom. "Belle, what are you doing?" he asked as she attacked his bookshelf with a vengeance.

"Cleaning, Rumple. This room is a wreck!" she declared.

The pawnbroker gaped at her. "Belle, you're almost thirty-seven weeks pregnant . . . shouldn't you be . . . err . . . taking it easy?"

"Rumple . . ." she dusted a section of the bookshelf, causing small particles of dust to float and dance in the air about her head. " . . . how can I relax when my house . . . is like apigsty?"

"Hey, dearie, I'm not a slob!" he objected, moving his feet so she could Swiffer under the desk.

"Well, your kids are!" Belle huffed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call Jimmy my kid?"

"Well, you sort of adopted him or whatever you want to call it," she replied, going to wipe down his computer screen.

"Careful, Belle. I'm still working there," he cautioned.

"I don't know how with all this dirt!"

"Really, dearie? There's maybe a millimeter of dust on my desk," he smirked.

She dusted around his computer and keyboard, muttering softly about the way his coffee mug left marks in the lovely wood grain and why in hell wasn't he using a coaster?

"Okay. I'll remember next time," he promised, figuring if he agreed with her, she would finish and leave the room so he could get back to work.

"Rumplestiltskin, don't you patronize me!" she snapped.

"What? What did I say?"

She glared at him. "It wasn't _what_ you said, it was _how_ you said it!"

"How'd I say what?"

"You had that _tone_ in your voice," she accused. "That sarcastic one that means you're trying to humor me."

He winced. "If I did, I'm sorry." He gave her his best regretful puppydog look.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what? This?" He continued to gaze at her, his soulful brown eyes brimming with regret.

"Stop it!" she ordered, shaking the dust cloth on him. "I can't stay mad at you when you do that."

He gave her a small smirk too, and she growled, "Rumple, you're such a woolhead!" Then she gazed at his suit and sighed. "Now look what you made me do! Dust all over your good jacket and trousers. Where's the lint roller?"

"Bottom right desk drawer, dearie." He kept one there because Nala liked to climb in his lap and he needed it to get her fur off his clothes.

Belle retrieved it and began to use it, carefully rolling it over his jacket and down his trousers. "Darn cat hair!"

Rumple relaxed in his chair and murmured, "That feels nice, dearie. Like a massage."

She found herself smirking impishly at him. "Turn around. You probably have more on your back, since Nala sits on your chair."

He obeyed, turning around as she requested.

As she ran the roller down his back and his pants, she paused to admire the view, thinking it was too bad she couldn't take advantage of him right now.

"See something you like, dearie?" he purred in his best come-hither voice.

"Rumple, behave!" she ordered, swatting his behind playfully. "You know perfectly well what I like that I can't have."

He turned around and took her face inbetween his palms. "Is that why you're so cranky and . . . and . . . going on a cleaning frenzy?"

"I don't know!" she half-wailed. "I'm sick of being the size of a baby beluga, of having to pee every twenty minutes, of being hot and then cold, of not being able to get comfortable for more than fifteen minutes at a time, my feet hurt, my back hurts . . . heavens, I sound like some whiny bitch! Rumple, I'm so sorry . . ."

"Hey, it's okay," his thumbs stroked her cheeks, wiping away the tears now falling down them. "You're entitled to complain and to be annoyed. It must suck being pregnant."

"But that's just it . . . it was fine . . . until now . . .now I just want them to be born!" she groaned. She gently kissed him, one hand on her tummy. Then she grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a cramp."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered shortly.

"Okay. You tell me if you need to go in to get checked."

"Right now I need the bathroom," she sighed. "One of them keeps kicking me down there and squishing what little room I have left." She set down the roller and waddled out of the room, one hand pressed to her lower back.

Rumple stared after her in concern. He had Dr. Jo on speed dial on his phone, but didn't want to call unless Belle said so, even though he was worried. He wished he knew more about pregnant women than the little he did from reading the book Belle had bought him and attending childbirth classes.

He went online and Googled a few things, and what he read about complications of twin births scared him to death. He prayed that everything would go smoothly and thanked God that he wouldn't be delivering these babies himself. Belle would be in good hands with Dr. Jo and he would be there as her coach.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Belle continued cleaning, even though the pains in her lower back were getting a bit more pronounced. Jimmy came upstairs to get his iPod and made the mistake of complaining that he couldn't find it to Belle, who immediately started lecturing him about keeping his room neat and then maybe he could find something.

"Okay! Okay! Never mind!" he cried, backing away with his hands held out. "Calm down, Mrs. Gold!" Then he turned and bolted, nearly colliding with Rumple.

"Going somewhere, Jimmy?" queried the sorcerer.

"Hell, yeah! Away from your wife. I think she's gone a little cuckoo . . . er . . . she's like rearranging my sock drawer," the pirate babbled.

"Relax, lad. She'll wind down soon enough," Rumple chuckled. "Come on, why don't we go and get a bite to eat. It's almost lunchtime."

Jimmy accompanied him downstairs, saying softly, "Mr. Gold . . . is it normal for her to be . . . like that?"

"Probably. She's very uncomfortable now, dragging all that weight around and so forth, so I'm not surprised she's crabby," he told the younger man. He opened the fridge and pulled out a container of sesame chicken and another of rice.

"Aye, I guess I would be too," Jimmy nodded, and went to grab a container with some bacon wrapped scallops and another of shrimp with broccoli out of the fridge.

"Papa, is Mama okay?" Alina asked, coming out of the pantry with a jar of peanut butter and some Welch's strawberry jam and a loaf of bread. "Because she yelled at Freya for playing with her chew bone on the rug and yesterday Freya ripped apart a pillow and she didn't say anything. What's up with that?"

"Alina, your mama's just . . . frustrated and cranky right now," her father answered. "So you just have to be patient. This will pass when the twins are born."

"Man, if this is what it's like when you have a baby, I'm not having kids," Alina declared softly, making herself a sandwich.

"Me neither," agreed Jimmy.

Gold just chuckled and said, "You never know. Someday you might change your mind." Then he went to heat up his sesame chicken in the microwave.

"Papa, how come you always drive Mama to the hospital?" Alina asked, getting a glass of coconut milk. "Wouldn't it be easier to just magic her there?"

"It would, dearie, but your mama's at the stage right now when it's not safe to use magical travel. It could hurt the babies, so I need to use my car," he explained, putting the chicken and rice on his plate. "Jimmy, could you get me some iced tea?" he called to the pirate, who was grabbing a Coke from the refrigerator.

"Sure. Mr. Gold," Jimmy snatched up a can of Coke and one of Arizona sweet tea and tossed it over to Rumple.

Rumple caught it in his hand. "Thanks. Now let's make sure we clean up in here before your mama comes down," he reminded his daughter.

"I know. I don't want her flipping out," Alina nodded. "Make sure you throw out your can, Jimmy."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Right, Miss Know-It-All. You can just chill yourself, or whatever that expression Henry says."

"You mean 'take a chill pill'," Alina corrected gently.

"Right, so you can just take one, before you turn your hair gray."

"Cute, Jimmy. Real cute," she snorted.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm so cute I have it tattooed on my—"

"Mr. Jones!" Rumple snapped. "Watch the mouth, boy."

Jimmy quickly bit off the rest of what he was going to say. "Aye, sir," he muttered hastily, then figured he'd better shut up and eat, before his mouth got him into trouble with Gold.

**Page~*~*~*~Break**

Belle continued to have Braxton-Hicks contractions through the next several days. Most times she ignored them, but once she alarmed Rumple one night by doubling over with one and he insisted she go to the hospital and get checked. It was January 5th.

But sadly she was only dilated one centimeter and after staying there an hour, was released to go home, as the contractions had stopped again.

"I told you it was a false alarm, Rumple!" she snapped at him as they got in the car.

"Better safe than sorry, dearie," he returned crisply as they drove home.

"If these kids are going to be born, I hope they do it soon, because there's another snow storm coming in a day or so," Belle sighed.

"Or they could wait till after the snow," Rumple said hopefully. He squeezed her hand. "Let's just go home and get some sleep, okay?"

"Easy for you to say," she snorted. An instant later she felt bad about giving him the rough edge of her tongue and said, "I didn't mean that."

"I know."

"You don't have to be so calm, Rumple. You can yell at me. Tell me I'm being a pain in the ass," she said, feeling guilty and upset.

"Will that make you feel better?"

"No, but it might make you feel better," she sighed.

"Fine. Belle, you're a pain in my ass and you're really getting on my nerves." It was only partially true.

"See? Now don't you feel better?"

"I'll feel a lot better when I get some sleep, dearie," he told her. "Now just breathe, Belle."

"Shut up, Rumple!"

"Yes, dear."

A few minutes went by. Then she called, "Rumple?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You know I still love you, right? Even when I'm acting like a queen bitch?"

"Of course I do. This will all be a memory in a week or so." He smiled at her encouragingly.

She sighed. Then she smiled back at him, because no matter how she snapped at him, she was very grateful he was there to support her during this difficult time. Together, she thought, they could handle just about anything.

Two days later, another storm hit, and snow poured from the sky in a white swath. Belle had been having pains on and off all morning, but now they were getting sharper and deeper, radiating from her back to her stomach.

_No. No. No, babies. You need to stop. You can't be born in the middle of a snowstorm. Wait._

But the twins didn't listen, and her pains began to grow stronger. "Dammit!"

Freya looked up from where she was sleeping on the hearth rug and whimpered as Belle paced up and down, trying to time the contractions.

"I know. I know. Babies, go back to sleep," she ordered crossly. "Now is not a good time, d'you hear me?"

Rumple was upstairs, taking a shower, and Jimmy was sleeping in his room. Alina was over at Grace' s house, she'd slept over, and now looked like she'd be spending another night there.

Belle waddled over to the sliding glass door and watched the snow falling, and gritted her teeth at each new pain.

This couldn't be happening. Not now. It had to be another false alarm.

But she knew deep inside that it wasn't.

She made her way upstairs, and found her husband had just come out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel. "Rumple! Hurry!"

"Why? What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes wide. "Don't tell me . . ."

"They're coming, Rumple! This time it's for real."

"Aww, hell, no! You can't be serious!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" she hissed.

"Okay. Okay. Jesus H. Christ!" he cried, using one of his son's favorite expressions. He threw the towel on the ground and then grabbed one of his sweatshirts and pulled it on. "It's a good thing your bag's in the car. Dammit, look at all the snow. But I think I can drive in it." He looked at his wife and said, "You're sure, Belle?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Okay, then let's go," he said, and went to take her arm.

"Rumple!" she gasped, half-doubled over. "Ooh! That was a strong one!"

"Okay. Okay. Just breathe, dearie. How far apart was that?"

"Don't know. I lost count. But Rumple . . ."

"Yes, Belle?"

"Put some pants on. Because while I like looking at your bare ass, I don't want you getting arrested for indecent exposure!"

"Huh?" He looked down . . . and realized he had forgotten some very important things. The he waved a hand and his jeans flowed onto him. Along with his boots. "All right, dearie. Let's get you to the hospital on time." He waved his hand again and her coat and scarf and gloves were put on and he helped her down the stairs and into the garage, where his car was.

He just hoped the roads were plowed somewhat.

**A/N: So . . . will Gold make it to the hospital?**


	3. Two Golden Miracles

**3**

**Two Golden Miracles**

**A/N: Okay, this chapter is quite intense, so be aware! Also, it couldn't have been written without the help of cynicsquest and my sister who's an OB/GYN. I just hope I got everything right!**

Snow lashed the windshield of the Cadillac, pelting the glass with an icy deluge that made it difficult for Gold to see through it. He was driving at only 20 miles per hour and he felt like a turtle crossing the road. Especially because his pregnant wife was in labor next to him and gripping his arm in hers in a vice-like grip. But he didn't complain. All he cared about was getting to the hospital.

He narrowed his eyes and squinted through the storm, inching along and praying that there was nothing beneath the snow on the road that he couldn't see. He thought about trying to make the car fly with his magic, but quickly nixed that idea, because the storm winds would make them crash. Too risky. He used his Bluetooth to make a quick call to Bae and tell him what was going on, since Bae was supposed to stop and pick up Alina and Henry at Alice's and drop them off at the house. Emma was out on an emergency call, there had been a bad accident down near the cannery. Then he called Dr. Jo's answering service to tell them he was going to the hospital because his wife was in labor.

The answering service told him to be careful, and said the doctor was already at the hospital, delivering another baby, and had been there all night, this was the third delivery in a row for her. Gold hung up and shook his head. A snowstorm and an exhausted doctor. _Dearies, you've got the worst timing. Why can't you just stay inside your mama for another day? At least the roads would be driveable._

"Belle, you all right?"

Belle was panting now. "Just . . . drive . . . Rumple . . . don't worry about me . . . I've done this before . . ." She hissed as another contraction pressed on her pelvis. Then she dug her nails into her husband's arm in a reflexive action.

Rumple gasped as her nails punctured his skin, as she had shoved his sleeve up before grabbing his right arm. Then he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain, it didn't matter. Not then. The wipers were going full blast, as was the heater, but the snow was barely melting as it hit the windshield before more took its place.

Suddenly, the car's left tire hit a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow and the car skidded, fishtailing like crazy.

"Shit!" Rumple snarled and tried to wrestle the Caddy into submission.

"Oh my God! Rumple!" Belle screamed, having visions of them ending up smashed against a tree. Her heart was racing in terror just as another contraction hit. _Breathe. Breathe. And pray. Please God, don't let me die, don't let my babies die, or my husband die . . ._

Rumple turned the wheel slightly into the skid and made sure to keep his foot away from the brake. But he was as terrified as Belle, and when the car hit . . . something and he felt it shudder, and quit spinning, he almost wept from relief. He leaned his head on the wheel and whispered, "Thank God." Then he straightened up and said, "Okay, sweetheart, let me check the damage." He put the car in park and put on the emergency brake and the hazards before getting out of the car.

Squinting through the falling snow, Gold saw that his left front tire had been blown out. "Great! Just great!" He banged his fist on the hood in frustration. Now they weren't going anywhere, and the storm was getting worse. "Flaming hells!" he swore. Then he counseled himself to quit behaving like a lunatic and get back in the car. _Stop reacting and think, Rumple! Use your damn head!_

He yanked open the car door and got in, shutting it. "Belle, how are you?"

Belle looked up at him and said, "The contractions are pretty steady, Rumple. But we have time yet, I think. What happened?"

"We blew out a tire and the storm's getting worse," he admitted. "Look, I'm going to call Bae, see if he can't take us to the hospital." He used his Bluetooth again.

"Hello, Papa?"

"Bae, I need you to come and pick us up—"

"What? Papa, you're breaking up—"

"Dammit!" Gold slammed his hand into the dashboard. "Bae, come and pick us up, we're right down the street, my car hit some ice and we've got a flat . . ."

There was crackling then Bae replied, "Okay. On my way. Just sit tight."

"He's coming," Gold said to Belle as they disconnected. He reached over to take her hand.

It was then that Belle noticed the four punctures in his arm. "Rumple! Your arm . . . is bleeding!"

"That? It's nothing, dearie."

"Nothing? You have four _puncture_ wounds in your arm!"

"Five," he corrected. "There's one on the other side. I'm fine, Belle."

"It's just a flesh wound, right?" she returned, frowning. "Dammit, Rumple, I did that. I _hurt_ you." She stared down at her hands in dismay, only now seeing that her left hand had some specks of blood under her nails. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Belle. I'll live. I'm like a  
T-Rex, I keep on coming back to life," he joked. "But next time, dearie, we're clipping your nails."

"When we get to the hospital, you're having that arm looked at."

"No need, dearie. Let me just heal it," he answered, and then tried to do so. But his magic felt . . . sluggish, and though the cuts healed, it was strange. "That's odd . . ." he mused.

"What is?"

"Just my magic . . . it's sort of . . . sluggish. I don't know why." Then he noticed something else when he looked at his wife.

"Belle, you're . . ._glowing_ . . ."

For Belle was glowing, with an unearthly golden light, emanating from her hands and face in small golden sparkles. "Oh! Rumple, I think it's the babies!"

He nodded. "Yes, you're right. I read in the Fairy Compendium that sometimes during the birth of a Halfling child, the mother will glow with her child's magic. Like they're . . . illuminating you with their love . . ."

Belle gazed at her glowing hand, which seemed to be lit from within by a golden flame, as flickers of light danced on her skin and shone from her fingertips. "I feel . . . so peaceful . . . and I'm not afraid anymore, Rumple." She put a hand on her belly and whispered, "I can feel them. They're turning . . . getting into position . . . they'll b born soon, Rumple. Today. My precious babies . . .oh!"

Suddenly she quit glowing and groaned as another contraction gripped her. Panting, she focused on her Lamaze breathing, sweat trickling down her forehead. "Hell . . . that was a big one . . .dammit, now I have to pee . . ."

"You sure about that?" Rumple queried gently, rubbing the back of her neck. "Your water's not broken yet, has it?"

"Not yet," she answered, just as a gush of warmth and wetness suddenly soaked the seat beneath her. "Umm . . . I think it just did . . ." she grimaced. "Either that or I wet myself . . .ugh . . . I'd forgotten how messy this was . . ." She flushed faintly at the stain now spreading across the floor of the car. "Rumple, we _are_ going to make it to the hospital, right? I am not delivering these babies in your car!"

"Yes, we will. Bae should be here any minute," he soothed. _Come on, Baelfire, move your ass!_ He waved a hand and dried Belle and the seat and the floor, reflecting that he would have to get this car shampooed after all of this was over. And again he noted that his magic was . . . off. It could be the babies, he thought. Maybe they were interfering with his magic. "How's that, Belle? Better?"

"Uh huh. Rumple . . . I'm sleepy . . . gonna take a nap . . ."

"A _nap_? You're going to sleep now?" he sputtered, watching in amazement as she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. "Okay, dearie. You're the one in labor, so whatever works for you."

Then he clenched the steering wheel until his fingers were white and muttered, "Hurry, Baelfire! Please get here so we can get to the damn hospital on time! I've never delivered a baby before and I really don't want to start now, so F-ing _drive!"_ He thought inanely of that book Belle had bought him—_She's Having a Baby and I'm Having a Breakdown._ _I'm going to have a breakdown right here if somebody doesn't come and get us._ He started to hyperventilate just imagining things going wrong, stopping only after Belle moaned and he forced himself to snap out of it by smacking himself in the face. _Keep it together, Gold! She needs you, now quit freaking out. You can do that later when this is all over, _he berated himself. _Right, when the men in white coats are coming to take me away,_ he snorted and giggled just a little, which was something he occasionally did when nervous.

Just then Bae's headlights shone into the car, and Rumple exhaled in relief. It was going to be all right.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Ten minutes later, they were trying to get to the hospital, but there was a six car pile-up ahead of them and the weather was just getting worse.

"Papa, this is really bad," Bae swore, for now they weren't moving, just standing still.

Rumple groaned. So did Belle.

"Easy, sweetheart," he crooned, reaching his hand back so she could grab it. "This is just . . . a temporary delay . . ." Inwardly he was swearing so much the air should have turned blue.

"Rumple . . . I want to go home . . ." Belle said softly. "Just take me home . . . before I have these kids in Bae's car . . ."

Bae blanched. "Oh, hell no, Mama! That is _not_ happening!" he cried. "Papa, I'm turning around, we're going back to your house."

Then he made a K-turn and drove as quickly as he could back to the Victorian.

"Bae! That means _we're_ going to deliver these babies!" Rumple cried, panicked. "Have you ever—?"

Bae shook his head. "Sorry, Papa. I've read it, never done it. But I know CPR from my sports medicine courses. Hey, let's call your doctor, maybe she can . . . uh . . . coach us . . ."

Poor Rumple looked totally flummoxed. "I . . . okay . . . umm . . . okay . . . dammit where's my phone . . . oh, here it is, in my pocket . . ." He fumbled the phone and slid up the screen, his hands shaking. "Dear God, I don't know anything about birthing babies . . . only livestock . . . and Belle's not a damn nanny goat . . .!"

"Right now I wish I were a goat," Belle said wryly. "I think it's easier with goats."

"Hang on, baby, I've got Dr. Jo on speed dial . . ." he pressed the button. "Pick up . . . pick up . . . Jesus H. Christ, this is an emergency! . . .Hello, this is Mr. Gold, my wife's in labor, can you patch me through to Dr. Jo . . .we were on our way there, but we can't make it, there was an accident . . . can I _please_ speak to her . . .because I'm going to have to deliver twins myself and if I don't get to speak to her _right now_ you're going to have one ticked off sorcerer go fifty shades of crazy on your ass!" He shouted.

"Papa, calm down!" Bae said. "I almost had an accident!"

"Watch the road, Baelfire," Rumple snapped.

"Rumple, relax!" ordered Belle.

"Yes, dearie."

"Breathe," she instructed.

"I am," he muttered, then he said, "Hello, Dr. Jo? Yes, you see we're having a problem getting to you . . . is there a chance I could bring you here to my house . . . oh, I see . . . you have to do a C-section in forty minutes . . . umm . . . okay . . . so what do I have to do?" He listened as the doctor detailed certain things. "Right . . . okay . . . uh . . . yes, I'll make sure of it . . ."

"Remember, hon, women have been having babies since we were still in caves, so she'll be fine . . . and so will you. You can do it, Rumple! And you call me if it looks like there's a problem and I'll talk you through it, okay? Now put Belle on, let me talk to her," Dr. Jo said.

"Belle, here," Gold reached back and handed Belle the phone just as Bae pulled into the driveway.

Belle was still talking when she got out of the car and Rumple helped her into the house and up the stairs. "Yes . . . I will . . . and I'll make sure they remember that . . .thank you . . . well, I've been there and done that once already, so . . .third time's the charm, right?" she smiled at something the doctor said, then hung up and handed the phone back to her husband. "Rumple, we need towels, and scissors, and trash bags and the bassinet and some string . . . oh, and those baby wash cloths . . . and I need to get changed . . .hmm . . . can I borrow one of your T-shirts . . .?"

"Yes, here," he yanked open his dresser drawer and grabbed the first T-shirt he saw, which was a deep blue one that said _I've stopped listening, so why are you still talking?_ And handed it to her. "Okay, you get into that and I'll get the kids to help me get the rest of this stuff." He left Belle to get changed and went downstairs and called for Alina and Henry to help him get things ready for the babies.

"Papa, aren't you going to the hospital?" Alina asked worriedly.

"I can't. My car has a flat and there's a huge accident on the way and we couldn't make it," he explained. "So . . . I'm going to need your help, because me and your brother are going to deliver the babies here."

"You are? Cool!" Henry said.

"Papa, you know how to do that?" Alina asked, awed.

"Umm . . .sort of," he answered breezily. "Now, you go and get lots of towels and some old sheets and some alcohol and I'll find my surgical steel scissors and some cotton swabs and cord . . ." Reciting a list in his head, he went methodically through the house, summoning things to him, but by the sixth thing, which took four minutes to come to him rather than four seconds, he quit taxing his magic and just went to get things normally.

Bae was talking to Emma on the phone, and also Googling "home births" on Gold's computer in the study.

Belle was quietly timing the contractions and pulling Rumple's shirt over her head, thinking how surreal this all was. She was glowing slightly, and whispered, "Almost time, babies. Soon I can hold you in my arms."

She walked out of the bathroom just in time to for Henry and Alina to come in with armloads of towels and sheets and a large laundry basket.

"Mama, where do you want the towels?" Alina asked.

"Um . . . put them on the floor right now," Belle directed. "And can you get me some ice chips, please? My mouth is dry."

"Sure, Grammy," Henry said. "But why not water?"

"Because water will make me throw up," Belle informed him. "So just get me a glass full of ice chips, okay?"

"Uh huh." Then he ran downstairs to get the ice chips.

Alina stared at her mother. "Mama . . . does it hurt a lot?"

Belle sighed. "Only sometimes, baby. It comes and goes . . . and most of the time it's bearable."

"Then . . . you don't need pain medications? But in the movies, all the women are screaming," her daughter said, puzzled.

"That's because it's the movies, sweetie." Belle brushed the hair from her eyes. "It's not that it doesn't hurt . . . it does, I won't lie to you, but you see, we were meant to do this . . . so we can . . . and you just breathe and concentrate . . . like this . . ."

Alina gaped as her mother began panting sharply as a contraction gripped her, rippling through her belly. "Mama . . . I can heal you . . ."

Belle held up a hand. "No, you can't, Alina. I'm not injured. This is normal . . . besides, I've done this before . . .and I don't think you ought to use magic around me right now, the babies' magic might counteract it. So, you just get the kimonos and caps and socks we have for the babies, you remember where I put them? And the diapers and washcloths? Good! You remember how we practiced swaddling the baby on Regina's doll, right?"

"Yes. I know how."

"That's my girl! Because that's what you and Henry are going to do after they're born. Because your papa and Bae will be too busy with me, so you'll have to make sure the babies are cleaned and kept warm, Alina."

"I can do that, Mama," Alina said confidently. "And I'll show Henry too."

"Good! Your papa will call you in when it's time," Belle told her, gently stroking her hair. "Don't be scared. I'm fine. And soon you'll be holding your baby brother or sister."

"How long before they're born?"

"Hmm . . . we've got a few more hours to go, I think," Belle replied. "Now go and help your papa. He's probably having a breakdown over finding something."

"Okay, Mama." She hugged her mother and then went downstairs, just as Henry came up with the glass of ice chips.

Belle sucked on some and thanked her grandson before waving him out of the bedroom. "Go help Alina," she told him. "Where's your grandfather?"

"Right here, dearie," Rumple interjected, his arms full of supplies. "Where's Bae?"

"Here, Papa," Bae came into the room next. "I just talked to Emma. She said to call her if we need to."

"Dad, you know how to deliver a baby?" Henry asked.

"Tiger, I know a lot of things," Bae hedged. "Now why don't you go help Alina, okay?" He shooed his son from the room and shut the door. "Mama, how are you progressing?"

"Slow but steady, Dr. Gold," Belle said jokingly. "Contractions are about ten to seven minutes apart."

"That's good, right, Papa?" Bae looked at his father, who was putting several things down on the nightstand.

"Yes, now come over here and sterilize these instruments for me. Dr. Jo says sterilization is very important. Use the alcohol here and when you're done, line them up on this dishcloth."

"Right," his son moved over to do that.

"Sit down here, Belle," Rumple said, leading her to the bed. "I'm gonna trim those nails of yours, dearie."

Bae looked up from washing the scissors with alcohol. "Papa, you're doing what?"

"Trimming my fingernails," Belle answered. "Because you should have seen what I did to his arm in the car." She held out her hand to Rumple, who gently took it and clipped with his nail clipper while she explained why to her son.

She wiped sweat from her brow. "It's so hot in here, Rumple. Let me have some more ice chips."

Rumple handed her the glass and after she was sucking some, said, "Okay, dearie, let's take a walk. Dr. Jo says you need to do that, it helps get the babies in position." He gently assisted her up from the bed.

"You don't need to tell me that," Belle chuckled. "I think I walked through the whole castle when Alina was getting born." She took Rumple's arm in hers as they began to walk around the room.

"Papa, I think we need to line the mattress with some trash bags and maybe an old sheet because . . . err . . . it can get really messy when Mama's delivering," Bae recalled something Emma had said.

"Yes, I'm leaking like a sieve," Belle sighed, thinking that the large sanitary napkin she had on right now was going to have to go soon. But not just yet.

She began to breathe through another cramp, thinking that the pain wasn't too bad yet, just a continuous pressure in her lower back and pelvis.

Rumple held her while she breathed, murmuring, "That's good. There you go, dearie. You know, I've seen a goat get born, a calf get born, and a lamb get born, but this is the first time I've ever seen a baby get born."

Belle nodded, gripping his hand with her fingers. "That's good, Rumple."

"Great, Papa. I never got to see the goat get born, you chased me out of the barn," Bae grumbled.

"Bae, you were green as grass and probably going to throw up or pass out, whichever came first," Rumple objected.

Bae flushed. "I was five, what'd you expect?"

"You're not going to pass out now, right, Baelfire?" Belle asked.

"Of course not, Mama," he reassured her.

"And if you do need to throw up, Bae, just do it in one of the trash bags."

"Papa, I'm not going to throw up!"

"Just saying. And you'd better not, because I'm not delivering these babies alone, you hear?" Rumple growled.

"Yes, Papa. Now take a chill pill."

"Hey! Don't you sass me, Baelfire!"

"Then calm down, for God's sake!"

"I'd like to see you calm down when YOUR wife's in labor."

"Both of you, knock it off!" Belle snapped. "You're breaking my concentration!"

"Sorry," both men chorused.

Belle began breathing again.

"Okay, dearie. Let's breathe together," Rumple coached, and they started doing the breathing exercises.

After a few minutes, Rumple looked up and said, "Baelfire! Stop spacing out and get the bed ready. God, boy, this is why I sent you outside while the goat was getting born!"

Bae rolled his eyes and began stripping the bed and putting the trash bags over the mattress, that way it didn't get damaged from all the birthing fluids. Then he prayed that everything would go well during this birth.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Three hours later, Belle's contractions were coming faster and longer. She was becoming hyper aware of the changes going on within her, and feeling the pressure steadily building as she walked about the room. Her skin tingled and she sucked ice chips like she was a camel preparing for a trek across the desert. In fact, her mouth was dry as the Mojave.

"Rumple . . . it's almost time," she said, leaning on him. "Help me . . . I need to take this off . . ."

"Take _what_ off?" Bae gasped, an image of his mother naked popping into his head.

Belle whispered something to Rumple, and he escorted her into the bathroom.

They emerged a few minutes later and Rumple helped Belle to get on the bed, which had been lined with sheets and towels and Belle lay on her side. The position was the most comfortable right then.

Rumple breathed in tandem with his wife while Bae knelt and massaged her neck and back, using the acupressure techniques he'd learned from Master Kitaro. _Never thought I'd be doing this to a woman in labor. Ah, well, you live and learn._ "How's that feel, Mama?"

"Good. Keep doing that, Bae. Especially my lower back. Ahh!"

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, alarmed.

"No. I'm just . . . sensitive there right now. Keep going. Rumple, more ice chips."

A few minutes later, Bae asked, "Is that better?" and got no response. "Mama?"

"Bae, she's dozing," Rumple explained.

"Say _what_? But she's having a baby!"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. She says that sometimes she needs to rest up between contractions. So she has strength for when she starts pushing."

"But . . . isn't she in pain? How can she sleep through it?"

Rumple shook his head. "Do I look like a woman, Baelfire? I don't know how she does it, but it doesn't really matter. Now let's get gloves on . . ."

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Downstairs, Alina and Henry had gotten everything ready for the babies arrival and Alina had given Henry a quick lesson on how to diaper and swaddle the baby when Jimmy emerged from his room and said, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Mama's having the babies upstairs, and Papa and Bae are delivering them," Alina answered.

Jimmy gaped at them. "Neptune's hairy balls! Umm . . ."

Henry burst out laughing.

Alina rolled her eyes.

Jimmy shook his head. "Is there anything he _can't_ do? Mr. Gold, I mean?"

"Well, he can't have a baby . . ." Alina replied, smirking, and they all started laughing.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Upstairs, Belle was feeling the contractions cresting like a wave, pulsing through her at regular intervals. She couldn't sleep now, the pressure was tremendous and she rolled from her side onto her hands and knees on the bed, murmuring, "They're coming, Rumple! I can feel it!"

"How long are the contractions now, Papa?"

"Five minutes," Rumple replied, looking at his watch. "Okay, dearie. Let me see . . . err . . . if I can see the head or something . . ." He leaned over, muttering softly, "Just pretend this is the goat . . . okay . . ."

Bae mopped Belle's forehead with a washcloth. "You're doing good. We're almost there!" He winced at the intense expression on her face.

"Okay, dearie, I see the top of the head!" Rumple cried.

Belle gritted her teeth. "Rumple, I need to push!"

"Whoa! I'm not ready yet," her husband cried.

"Hurry!" his wife snarled, and then she turned over, half-sitting up, spreading her legs wide against the bed. "Oh, I wish we had stirrups!"

Rumple doused his gloved hands with alcohol and cried, "Bae! Get down by her feet, you're going to catch the baby. I'll need to be up here with her." He climbed on the bed and knelt behind his wife, helping her to brace herself, supporting her with his arms around her. "Ready, dearie?"

"I was . . . ready . . . ten minutes . . . ago, Rumple!"

"Okay . . . on three . . . one . . . two . . . three . . .Push, dearie!"

Belle did, bearing down with all the muscles in her pelvic region. Sweat streamed down her forehead and birthing fluids were expelled from her along with the baby's head.

"I see it! I see the head!" Bae cried excitedly. "But it's upside down!"

"That's . . . normal . . .!" Belle gasped. She began to breathe again. "Rumple, I'm slipping . . .!"

Rumple hauled her up by sheer brute force. "Again, Belle! Come on!"

She braced herself and then hissed, "Okay . . . one . . . two . . . three . . ."

"Mama, the head's out," Bae called. "And I see the shoulders . . ." he reached up with his hands and gently tugged. "Good job . . . come on, once more . . .!"

Belle felt drained and exhausted. "Rumple . . . I'm so tired . . .!"

"Third time's the charm, my Belle!" he encouraged. "I can't wait to see our baby . . ."

"Okay . . .once more!"

One last push and the baby slipped out into Bae's hands.

The martial arts instructor caught the tiny infant and turned it over gently. "It's a girl! I've got a baby sister, Papa!"

The baby girl's sharp cry filled the room.

Downstairs, Nala and Freya began meowing and barking, and Freya ran around in circles.

"Look, Mama, look at your baby!" Bae cried, giddy with amazement, his eyes wide. He gently placed the baby on Belle's tummy.

"Uh . . . the cord, Bae. We need to cut it," Rumple reminded him, his eyes glassy with tears.

Bae quickly tied the cord and handed Rumple the scissors.

Rumple snipped, and then he handed the scissors to Bae and just stared down at the baby. "Hello, dearie. Belle . . . look at her . . . our little baby . . ." tears of wonder coursed down his face.

Belle reached down and cradled the baby to her, unmindful of the birth fluids that still coated her. Her cerulean blue eyes met those of her daughter, who had smoky blue ones, and she whispered, "Hello, little Daria Rhea. My beautiful baby girl. I'm your mama."

The baby nuzzled her, whimpering, and then the small mouth curved up slightly.

Belle couldn't stop smiling, she held the precious miracle and whispered, "Rumple, she has your hair!"

"And your eyes," he agreed, wiping his own. Then he bent and kissed the small head. "She's perfect, dearie. Our own little miracle."

Belle nodded, then grimaced and said, "And here comes her twin." Just then her second water sac broke.

Rumple quickly took the newborn and called, "Alina, Henry! Come here!"

The two younger Golds bolted up the stairs.

"Grandpa, are they born?" Henry asked.

Rumple met them at the door. "Your aunt is. Henry, meet Daria Rhea Gold."

Alina came and held out her hands when Henry faltered. "Hi, little sister! Papa, she's tiny!"

"I know. She's probably around four pounds, if that. Careful, support her head." He gently placed the baby in Alina's arms. "You know what to do, right, dearie?"

"Yes. C'mon, Henry. Let's get her cleaned up," Alina said, and brought the baby into the bathroom.

Henry summoned the clothes and bassinet lined with towels and followed his aunts.

"Put a towel down there on the counter," Alina directed.

Henry did so, then watched as Alina set the baby down. "What's all that stuff all on her? It looks like . . . blood."

"Some of it is. It's messy getting born," Alina replied.

"Gross!"

The baby started to cry.

"Hey, I'm sorry! Don't cry!" he said, panicked.

"Henry, she's cold and wet. Come on, help me!" Alina said, and gently took a washcloth and began to wipe the baby.

Henry followed suit. "Alina, what's this white stuff on her?"

"I don't know. It's probably normal. Don't worry about it."

Together they finished cleaning the newest Gold up and putting her in a preemie diaper, a pink kimono, socks, and a little hat Rumple had knitted for her.

As they were putting on the skull cap, Alina noticed something. "Henry, look at her ears! They're a little pointy."

"Whoa! Cool! She's got ears like a . . ."

"Fairy," Alina grinned. She cooed at her sister. "Pretty baby, let's put you in your bassinet."

She picked up her sister, and gently placed her in the bassinet.

In the bedroom, Belle was nearly done pushing, encouraged heavily by both Rumple and Bae.

"Once more, Belle!" Rumple called, bracing her.

"Come on, Mama! You're on the homestretch!"

"Bae, she's not a horse!" Rumple cried.

"Hush up!" Belle growled, then she gave one final push and her second twin was born, ten minutes after her daughter.

"Papa, we've got a baby boy!" Bae cried in triumph. "I've got a baby brother!" He held the smaller twin in his hands, laughing and crying all at once.

The baby boy opened his eyes and gave a soft cry, almost like a cat mewing.

His eyes were as green as the grass. And all the flowers in the room burst into bloom.

Once Rumple had cut the cord, Belle held her son to her, and she cried, "Look, Rumple! His eyes! They're green—green as new spring leaves!"

"He's as beautiful as his mama, Belle!" Rumple said, fresh tears streaming down his face. "Hello, my beautiful baby boy!"

His son gave a small hiccup and started crying.

In the bathroom, so did his twin sister.

"Well, they've got a good pair of lungs on them, dearie!" Rumple laughed. "Right, my little man?"

"Shh! Don't cry, Dylan," Belle crooned to her son. "Your mama's here." She kissed the wrinkled little face.

"And your papa too," Rumple added. "Dylan Pearce Gold." Then he kissed his son as well.

Baby Dylan gazed at his parents with wide alert eyes. Then he gave a small yawn and shut them.

"Well, he certainly knows where his priorities are!" Belle laughed. "And I'd love to follow his example."

"Afraid you can't just yet, sweetheart," Rumple said, and took the baby and handed him to Bae. "Take your brother and give him to Henry and Alina, Bae. Your mama and I have a little more work to do."

Bae frowned. "But she's had the . . . oh, now I remember!" He smiled down at Dylan.

"She has to deliver the afterbirth," Rumple said. "Now go, I can hear poor Daria yelling from here. They've never been separated before, so she's stressing."

"Like her papa," Bae teased, then ducked Rumple's swat. Smirking, he carried his brother into the bathroom.

While Alina showed Bae how to clean and diaper a newborn, Rumple helped Belle deliver the afterbirth, which he then placed in a clean plastic bag so they could bring it to the hospital later along with the twins. Dr. Jo had told him they needed to examine it to make sure all of it was there.

"Okay, dearie. Now you can rest while I clean you up," Rumple said. He kissed his wife happily. "You did an incredible job."

Belle smiled at him tiredly. "No . . . _we_ did an incredible job. And now we have two golden miracles, Rumple." Then she kissed him back.

While Belle half-dozed, Rumple gently washed her and changed the sheets, making sure she was warm and dry and comfortable.

Belle woke once as he was placing a thick pad beneath her and murmured, "You know, that wasn't as bad as I thought. They're a lot smaller than Alina was. Probably around three or four pounds. Alina was close to eight, and I tore some with her."

"You did a wee bit too here, Belle, only I healed you," her husband said. He drew a thick blanket up around her shoulders. "Now sleep, dearie. I love you."

"I love you too," Belle said, shivering a bit, for she was chilled. Then her eyes closed and she slept, exhausted but very proud.

Bae carried the bassinet with the twins out and placed it next to Belle on the bed. "They're sleeping too, Papa."

"I'm not surprised. Getting born wears you out," Rumple said, and he smiled as he looked at his twins. Then he looked up at Bae and clapped him on the shoulder. "You were a great help, Bae. Thank goodness you were here."

Bae hugged him. "You know, I was this close to throwing up at first. Or running out of the room."

Rumple chuckled. "Well, so was I. But we did it." Then he yawned. "I'm ready for a cup of tea and a nap."

"Me too," Bae agreed. "I can't wait to call Emma."

"And I'll call Alice," Alina said.

"And I'll tell Jimmy," Henry said, and went downstairs to do so.

"And I'll call Snow and David." Rumple paused before he left the room, looking back at his sleeping wife and their two precious babies, sleeping side by side, and he wondered what Regina would say when she saw them. "Good night, sleep tight, and don't let the trolls bite," he called softly, then he blew them a kiss before shutting the door behind him. As he made his way downstairs, he wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear, and caused his eyes to crinkle with delight. Life was beautiful.


	4. Meeting the Twins

**4**

**Meeting the Twins**

Belle and the twins slept for a full three hours afterwards, giving Rumple, Bae, and the kids time to make phone calls, take showers and eat something. Jimmy had gone upstairs while the twins and Belle were asleep, to see the babies with Rumple.

He had stared at the tiny infants and murmured, "Wow, Mr. Gold! They're really small! And . . . umm . . . why're they so red? Like they've been sunburned?"

"It's because getting born is a rough process. Those wee things have been squished and squeezed through the birth canal pretty hard, so that's why they're all red and kind of wrinkled looking. All babies are like that at first. They'll look differently in about a week or so. Alina did," Gold told him confidently. "What matters right now is they're breathing correctly and everything."

Jimmy sniffed the air. "Hey, why's it smell like a rose garden in here?"

"Because Belle had a craving for flowers when she was pregnant and she had a trellis installed in here and pots of flowers placed on my balcony and so forth. And when my son was born, the flowers all burst into bloom . . . like they were welcoming them."

Jimmy's dark eyes widened. "Y'mean . . . they're magical kids?"

"Yes, I have no doubt of that. And more than that, they have fairy magic," Rumple said. "I believe that's why Dylan's eyes are green. And why Daria's ears are slightly pointed. It's the fairy traits expressing themselves."

Jimmy whistled. "Hells bells, Mr. Gold! You're gonna have your hands full when they're Regina's age."

"Don't remind me," the pawnbroker sighed. "I'm going to have to read up on what magic they might have inherited in the book Rhea gave me, so I can prepare for it. And they need to be taught to only do magic when I say so, like my other apprentices."

"Uh . . . good luck with that," Jimmy smirked.

Gold flashed him a rather annoyed look, though he feared that the snarky pirate was right. These two were probably going to give him a run for his money, and turn his hair gray before they were five. _Ah well, that's the joy of having children._

Then they tiptoed downstairs again to get something to eat, leaving mama and babies contentedly sleeping.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Belle woke and went to use the bathroom, finding she was still somewhat sore but gradually the pain would fade, as it had before. Rumple had dressed her in the new set of loungewear he'd bought her for Christmas after he'd cleaned her up, and she found them extremely comfy and very soft. She found a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon in it on the nightstand, and as she drank it, one of the twins woke and began fussing.

Belle immediately put down the glass and reached into the little wicker bassinet on the bed and picked up her son, who was awake and moving his small feet and hands. "What's the matter, Dylan? Are you hungry?" she smiled at her son, who was still slightly squished looking, but had a tiny snub nose and the biggest pair of green eyes she'd ever seen. She knew green was not the usual color of a newborn's eyes, but she thought him perfectly lovely because he was different. He had a thatch of reddish brown hair and fit comfortably in her arm.

As soon as she held him alongside her, Dylan turned his head and nuzzled her breast, making soft whimpering noises. "Shh, pretty boy. I know, you want to eat," she crooned, rocking him gently while she undid the snaps on the lounge top. "I'm so lucky your papa knows that I'd need a top like this," she told her son, and found a soft baby cloth as well to put on her opposite shoulder inside the bassinet.

Her son kicked his feet and gripped her with a hand, crying a little louder now.

"Hey, little man. Don't you be impatient with your mama," Belle chuckled. "It's been a long long time since I've done this. And I only got to feed your older sister once before your Auntie Alice had to take her away and hide her from your crazy grandpa. Hmm . . . now let's see if I remember this right . . ."

Dylan was rooting now, his little mouth opening and shutting, plainly hungry, and trying to latch onto Belle.

"Okay, okay. Just a minute," she said, and gently squeezed her nipple until a drop of yellowish fluid, called colostrum emerged. Then she guided the breast towards her son's questing mouth. "There you go, baby."

Dylan quickly latched on and began suckling, his green eyes going to half-mast as he did so. He relaxed in Belle's arm, happy now that he was finally eating.

Belle sighed and gazed lovingly down at her son, wincing a little because at first she was tender there, but she had read this was normal at first and in a few days she would stop being so sensitive.

No sooner had she relaxed against the pillows with her son, then his twin woke and began squirming and wailing.

Unlike her brother, Daria had a higher pitched and louder cry, and it brought both her father and two other unexpected visitors into the bedroom.

"Dearie, is everything okay?" Rumple asked in concern as he shoved open the door, and entered the room, along with his collie and his cat. "Freya practically dragged me up here, and Nala too."

Before Belle could reply, Nala had sprang up onto the bed and came over to the bassinet. The black cat made a graceful leap into the wicker basket and nuzzled the crying baby, making an odd sort of meow and purring.

Freya, not to be outdone, heaved her front paws onto the bed and cried, obviously upset she couldn't see the baby too.

"What on earth?" Belle gasped. "Rumple, the animals . . .what's gotten into them?"

Rumple goggled at the sight of his cat, who avoided Regina like the plague, actually _curled up_ next to his daughter, purring like a washing machine gone berserk. And Freya was whining and wagging her tail like crazy, her paws scrabbling on the blanket. Daria, who had been howling loudly, suddenly stopped crying so much and turned her head and looked at the cat beside her and cooed at Nala.

And Nala purred and rubbed her head against the baby's cheek, like the infant were her kitten, even though she was barely out of kittenhood herself.

"Well, I'll be!" Rumple said. He picked up Freya, saying, "Relax, Freya, lass!" and held her over the bassinet. "See? This is Daria, my daughter."

The little collie yipped and wagged her tail even harder, and Daria suddenly looked towards Freya and put out a hand to touch the puppy's nose, giving a soft gurgle as she did so.

And Rumple could swear he saw golden sparkles drifting through the air.

"Rumple! They love her!" Belle observed. "I've never seen anything like that!"

"I'd say it's her magic, dearie. Maybe that's the reason her ears are pointed. Because she can talk to animals or something," Rumple said. "It's certainly uncanny the way Nala's taken to her." He turned and showed Freya Dylan, and the collie snuffled at him and wagged her tail, but didn't seem as excited.

Rumple set his dog down and said, "Sit, Freya!"

The little collie sat, and looked up at him for a treat, which he gave to her from a bag he had in his night table drawer.

By then, his baby girl was fussing again, and he gently reached into the bassinet and picked her up. "Hey, sweet thing. You're awful loud for such an itty bitty scrap, aren't you?"

Daria whimpered and waved her small fists at him, her dark blue eyes tracking on him slightly. Then she scrunched up her nose and bawled.

"My, you've got some temper, don't you, my girl?" Rumple chuckled, holding the baby close to him. "I can tell already which one's going to give me the most headaches, right, my sassy little imp? Hmm? Yes, you're going to have me turn all the boys into snails and have a slug museum, aren't you?"

"Rumple, my God!" Belle snickered. "Here, put her in my other arm . . . no, wait, I'm going to switch sides." She gently disengaged Dylan and put him on the other side to feed, then said, "Okay, let me feed her now, before she bursts a blood vessel."

Rumple gently lay Daria in the crook of Belle's arm, and helped her position the baby so she could latch on and feed as well. "There you go, Little Miss Noisy," he murmured, as his daughter suckled happily.

Nala jumped out of the bassinet and rubbed up against Rumple's hand, purring.

"Okay, baby. Your papa hasn't forgotten you, silly kitty." He stroked the cat's back, and Nala arched into his hand.

At the same moment, Freya jumped on his leg and he petted her ears with his other hand. "You know, between pets and babies, I'm going to need eight arms like an octopus," he joked.

"Well, it's a miracle they aren't jealous of the babies," Belle remarked, smiling at her husband.

"I think, dearie, that we'll be seeing a lot of new things from these two," Rumple predicted. He continued petting his dog and Nala while watching the twins nurse, marveling at how his family was finally complete, and how lovely his wife looked as she nursed, like those porcelain statues of the Madonna and child in the Vatican.

_So very beautiful . . . and I'm the luckiest man alive, in both realms, _he thought, and thanked heaven that nothing had gone wrong during the birth and that Belle and the twins were thriving. He sat down on the bed next to them and just gazed at them, thinking at how amazing it was that they were finally here, his wee ones, and how perfect they were, green eyes, pointed ears, and all.

He felt the same sort of overwhelming perfect protective love that he had the day Alice had placed a squalling Alina in his arms, and he knew Belle felt the same way as he did. And unlike the last time, these babies would grow up with both their parents, and nothing would ever separate them, not dark curses or evil queens or crazy fathers.

He leaned on his elbow on the bed, a smile of utter delight stealing over him. _You are mine, and what is mine shall remain so forever, no matter if you have wings or can speak the tongues of birds or make plants grow, I shall keep you safe and love you forever, my precious golden miracles, as I do all of my family._

Belle lifted her eyes and they met her husband's. She promptly teared up upon seeing the utter love within them, and she gave him one of her brilliant smiles in return. "Aren't they just wonderful?"

"Yes, dearie. And I can't wait for them to meet the rest of the family." Then he snuggled closer to them, watching with wide-eyed curiosity, as this was something totally new to him. He hadn't seen anything like this in all of his centuries, and he found it the most fascinating and beautiful thing imaginable, this bond between mother and child, this perfect love, and he was awed and humbled to be allowed to witness it.

Belle nursed for a few more minutes, then she shifted and said, "Rumple, will you take Dylan and burp him?"

"Sure. Come to Papa, my little man," he leaned over and gently lifted the newborn, who could almost fit into his hand.

The baby fussed a little at being taken away from Belle, making small mewling cries of annoyance. Rumple draped him over his shoulder, saying softly, "Ah ah, Dylan. I know, you're angry I took you away from your mama, but you have to burp, dearie. Otherwise your tummy will hurt awfully, and we don't want that, do we?"

He began to gently yet firmly rub and pat his son on the back, his hands automatically recalling how to do this from years ago with Alina. His son squalled a little, showing his own burst of temper, and Rumple began to hum as he rubbed and patted.

At his feet, his collie whined and gave him a concerned look.

"Don't look at me like that. He's not being tormented. He needs to burp and he's probably a wee bit colicky," Rumple told Freya. "Come on, son. Give me one big one." He patted a little more firmly. "Attaboy!" he said, just as Dylan let out a rather loud burp. "See? Doesn't that feel better?" He shifted the baby slightly, then made a face. "Uh, Belle? I think . . . I've been christened."

Belle looked over at him and started snickering. "Oh, Rumple! You forgot to put a cloth on your shoulder."

"I knew I forgot something," he chuckled ruefully. Then he glanced at his shoulder which was now covered with baby spit. He snapped his fingers, and the mess was gone. Then he lifted his son and kissed the tip of his little nose. "You're lucky your papa loves you, little sprout."

Dylan gurgled and his little hand reached out and grabbed Rumple's nose, his green eyes glimmering with mischief, just like a certain imp's long ago.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

_The next day:_

By the next morning the plows were out and had cleared the roads and driveways enough so Emma and the Charmings could come and visit. Emma arrived first in the yellow Bug, and was immediately dragged upstairs by her son and husband to see the new arrivals.

"Mom, I got to wipe them off and dress them to keep them warm after they got born!" Henry told her excitedly. "And they like can fit in my hand and everything. Oh, and Daria's got pointed ears like Legolas in Lord of the Rings!"

Emma blinked. "You mean she's a little elf baby?"

"Both of them are unusual, Emma," Bae said as they climbed the stairs. "Dylan's got green eyes and all the plants are like Miracle-Gro around him, and _I_ delivered them."

"I know. You told me about ten times, hon," Emma laughed at how totally puffed up Bae was about that. Like he'd won a tournament or something.

"Dad, Grandpa helped," Henry reminded him.

"Uh, well, yeah . . ."

Emma pushed open the door to the bedroom with a hip, and said, "Okay, let's see these new babies."

Belle looked up from where she was rocking Dylan, and smiled. "Emma! Say hello to your new brother-in-law, Dylan Pearce."

"And your sister-in-law, Daria Rhea," Rumple said, he was holding Daria on his shoulder, which was swathed with white cloths and patting her bottom lightly.

Emma got misty eyed when she looked at the newborns. "Aww! They're just adorable!" She came over by Rumple and peered at Daria, seeing the slightly pointed ears. "Wow! She really does have pointed ears!"

"She does, dearie. Like a little cat's," Rumple said proudly, and then he asked, "Would you like to hold her?"

Emma hesitated. "Uh . . . it's been so long . . . I don't know . . ."

"It's okay. Just hold out your arms like this," Rumple instructed.

"Umm . . . Rumple, I don't want to drop her . . ." Emma said uneasily.

"Relax, Emma! Now hold out your arms like you're cuddling a kitten," Rumple said, waiting until the savior of Storybrooke had done as he'd said before rising to place his baby in her arms. "Now you put this hand right here, under her bottom . . . Good! And her head rests in the crook of your arm, like that. See, nothing to it. You're holding her."

Emma stared down at the baby, who looked at her with puzzled blue eyes. "Hey, kid. I'm Emma, your big sister. Wow, I've got lots of sisters and a brother too all of a sudden." She smiled tentatively at Daria. "Bae, look! I'm holding her. Boy, is she tiny! She doesn't weigh any more than a . . . err . . . peanut or something."

"I know. I held her first," Bae said proudly. "And Dylan too. Right, baby brother?" He tickled Dylan under the chin, making the baby giggle. "Yeah, you're gonna be a real lady killer when you're bigger, aren't you? And I'm gonna teach you how to fight and how to get around Papa's rules and everything."

Rumple cast his eyes heavenward. "Uh huh. Baelfire, you were _never_ able to get around my rules when _you_ were a kid and _you're_ going to teach him?"

"So? I'm older and wiser now," Bae said.

"Or having delusions of grandeur," snorted his father. "I knew what you were up to the minute you walked out the door half the time."

"Or you liked to make me _think_ you did," Bae retorted. "You didn't have magic back then!"

"I didn't need magic to figure out that when you came home covered in mud with prickers in your clothes that you were playing down by the creek when I told you not to. All I had to do was use the eyes and brains I was born with!" Rumple commented. "Honestly, your father was never as stupid as you thought, Baelfire!"

"Hey, I never said you were stupid," Bae objected.

"You were implying it," Rumple shook his finger at him.

Before Bae could dig himself any deeper, the front door downstairs banged open and Regina's voice could be heard yelling, "He-e-y, Unca Rumple! I'm here!"

"Uh oh. The queen cometh," snickered Emma.

"She's like her own herald," Bae laughed.

Alina came into the room, yawning sleepily. "Somebody's at the door, Papa."

"That would be Regina, dearie."

"And Snow and David," Belle said, sitting Dylan up slightly so he could see everyone.

"Hello? Rumple? Belle?" called Snow.

"Unca Rumple! We're here!" yodeled Regina.

"Shh! You might wake the babies," Charming tried to shush her.

"Up here, David!" Belle called.

The next thing they heard was Regina climbing the stairs.

She burst into the room like a miniature whirlwind, still wearing her purple coat with its faux fur trim on the hood, and her matching snow boots. Her dark hair was blowing around her pink hat and she looked around at everyone before spotting Dylan in Belle's arms.

"Auntie Belle, can I see the baby? Is it a girl or a boy?" Regina asked excitedly.

Belle shifted so Regina could see Dylan. "Regina, meet your new cousin, Dylan Pearce Gold. Isn't he adorable?"

The little girl peered at the baby in Belle's arms. Then she frowned and blurted, "No, he looks like somebody squished him and spit him out!"

"Regina!" Snow gasped as she entered the room. "That's a mean thing to say! Belle, I'm so sorry!" She came and kissed her "sister" and cooed, "What a sweet little boy you are! No bigger than a minute!"

"Mommy, he looks like a little frog!" Regina objected. Then she spun around and saw Rumple. "Unca Rumple, why's he like that? And where's the other baby?"

"He just got born, dearie. So he's a little . . .smushed right now," Rumple coughed, struggling not to laugh at the child's bluntness. "And your other cousin, Daria Rhea, is being held by Emma."

Regina stood on her tiptoes and said bossily, "Lemme see her, Emma. Maybe she looks normal."

"Hey, kid, be nice!" Emma scolded. "I'll bet you looked even worse when you got born." She cautiously knelt so Regina could see Daria.

"Emma! Her ears are pointy! How come? An' she looks like a raisin! How come?"

"Uh, Rumple?" Emma looked over at him for help.

"Come here, Regina," he beckoned to her from his seat at the foot of the bed.

The little imp came and crawled on his knee. "Unca Rumple, 'splain it to me."

"Okay, dearie. It's hard work getting born, and the baby . . . err . . . gets sort of squished when she comes out of her mama's tummy, so that's why she looks like that. But in a few days her head with get rounder and fuller and she'll look more like your baby doll does. As for her ears, well dearie, she's got fairy magic in her, and I think she can talk to animals like Dr. Dolittle. It's also why Dylan has green eyes. Because he has an affinity for plants. Any more questions?"

"When they gonna get big enough to play with?"

Charming laughed. "Not for a long while yet, Regina. Like a year."

"That long, Daddy?"

"Well, they won't be able to play like you do for that long," Rumple corrected. "But you can play with them, if you're quiet and gentle. Because you don't want to scare them."

"I can do that," Regina stated. "I can be quiet like a teeny weeny mouse!"

"That'll be a trick and a half," Jimmy grinned from the doorway. "You being quiet, Miss Queen Bee."

"Oh, hush you mouth, Jimmy Jones!" Regina ordered, and stuck out her tongue at him.

Henry cracked up at that.

Jimmy promptly made a face back at her. "Frog face."

"Gargoyle head!" Regina rolled her eyes and put her hands in her ears and waved them around.

"Mud puppy!" Jimmy taunted. Then he put his fingers up his nose and made a totally gross face in return at her.

"Gross!" Alina cried, wrinkling her nose at the older boy.

"Eeeww! You is 'sgusting!" Regina squealed, and hid her face in Rumple's shirt.

"Mr. Jones! Are you eighteen or three?" Rumple demanded.

"Knock it off, kid! Because if you scare my baby brother, I'm going to wallop your ass," Bae threatened.

Jimmy quickly stopped making faces and took his fingers out of his nose. "Aww, chill, Bae! You're like a grumpy old man."

"Watch it, kid. Now go wash your hands."

"What are you, my mother?" Jimmy demanded belligerently.

Bae promptly reached out and grabbed him by the ear. "Do it, James. Now!"

Jimmy yelped. "Okay! I'm going!" He rubbed his ear after Bae released it, and stalked into the bathroom, muttering under his breath.

"Jimmy, I heard that!" Rumple called.

"Sorry, Mr. Gold!"

"Smooth move, Baelfire," Charming said, amused.

"Thanks, David," Bae preened.

"Now tell him where you learned _that_ from, son," Rumple invited.

"The Waltons," Bae drawled, then held up a hand. "Just kidding, Papa. I learned it from you. You used to do that every time I backtalked you."

"Then I'm surprised your ear didn't fall off, Gold," teased Emma.

"You're a riot, Em," Bae said. Then he decided to change the subject. "Hey, why don't we go downstairs and get something to eat? And I can tell all of you how Papa and I delivered the babies."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Here he goes again. Maybe he's gonna make a recording and put it on youtube—Baelfire Gold On Delivering Babies."

"Hey, that's a good idea, tiger!"

"Dad! I was _kidding_!" Henry groaned.

Just then Daria started to wail.

"Uh, help . . . Rumple, she's screaming," Emma cried, looking horrified.

"Bring her to me, Emma," Belle said. "She's probably hungry. It's almost feeding time for them."

Emma happily gave a crying Daria back to her mother, and then everyone decided to leave the room to give Belle some privacy. Except Rumple, who gently set Regina down and said, "Go downstairs, dearie, and eat some chocolate chips I've baked."

"Mmm! I love them!" Regina hooted, and darted out the door.

"Here, dearie. Let me have Dylan while you feed Miss Howling Beauty over there," Rumple said, and took his son so Belle could feed Daria.

Ten minutes later, he had tucked a blanket over both his children and also his wife, kissed them all, and went downstairs to rejoin the rest of his family.

They were all congregating in the kitchen, eating soup and sandwiches and listening while Bae described some of the more explicit details of childbirth. David looked like he was about to start throwing up, and even Snow looked pale as her name. Jimmy too looked a bit off color.

Henry and Alina, who had heard this rendition ten times before, were playing a card game at the other end of the table while Regina was watching.

" . . . and there was so much blood and fluid I was almost afraid she was bleeding inside or something," Bae told his in-laws, calmly munching on a hoagie. "But then I was like, okay, you gotta remain calm, because otherwise Papa's going to freak out . . ."

"Excuse me? _I_ was freaking out?" Rumple said, coming into the kitchen. "I beg to differ. I was holding my wife and you were the one asking _me_ what in hell that wriggly purple and blue thing was coming out with the baby."

"Purple and blue thing?" David repeated.

"Rumple, are you talking about the umbilical cord?" asked Snow. "Was it pulsing and rubbery?"

"Mom, TMI!" Emma groaned. "You're as bad as Bae!"

"Yeah, it was like that, Snow," Bae nodded.

"And I had to tell you not to panic, that it was fine, and to watch it didn't get wrapped around Daria's neck or else she'd strangle," Rumple put it, getting out some bread and cold chicken cutlets from the fridge.

"How'd you know that?" David wanted to know.

"Dr. Jo told me before, when we were driving back to the house after getting stuck," Rumple answered.

"I don't get it. Why was there some cord inside Mrs. Gold?" Jimmy asked, puzzled.

"It's not like on a ship, little brother," Bae said, amused. "And the umbilical cord's there so the baby can get food from the mom when its inside her. It's kind of like a straw. A really long one."

"A straw? Eeeww, Baelfire!" Emma grimaced.

"What? How else am I gonna explain it?" her husband protested. "And if you think that looked gross, you should have seen the afterbirth, Jimmy."

"What's an afterbirth, Mr. Gold?"

Rumple told him, "It's a . . . product of conception, Jimmy. It's how the babies get all their nutrients when they're inside their mama's womb. And it gets delivered after the babies, hence the name. It also looks like raw liver."

"Oh. I'm sorry I asked," Jimmy looked rather green.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," David muttered.

"Wuss!" Bae smirked.

Emma elbowed him in the ribs. "Be nice, Baelfire!"

"What? It's like the facts of life, Em. And you grew up on a farm, David," Bae pointed out. "Didn't you ever see lambs get born?"

"Yeah, but . . . the ewe did most of the work and . . . err . . . I never noticed what happened with that afterbirth thing."

"She probably ate it, dearie," Rumple put in.

"Rumple, she's a sheep! They're vegetarians!" Snow objected.

"Dearie, that's nature. And if she didn't, she'd be leaving blood trail for predators," answered the sorcerer.

"Now I"M gonna hurl!" Jimmy groaned. "How revolting!"

"All right, can we PLEASE quit talking about this subject?" Emma groaned. "I don't even want to think about it right now."

"Don't worry, wild swan. I've got everything under control. When your time comes, I'll make sure I've got your room all fixed up and everything." Bae soothed.

"My ROOM?" Emma gaped at him. "Bae, what are you smoking? Hell, no, you're not going to deliver the baby at home! I want a hospital room, Gold, and a trained medical professional and an epidural! What do you think this is-Male Midwives of Maine reality show?"

"But, hon, it's not really that bad," Bae began. "I've already delivered two of them so I'm like an expert now—"

"Baelfire Gold, you're crazy! The only reason poor Belle delivered them at home was because she had no other choice!" Emma pointed out. "And you were damned lucky nothing went wrong. You're not a midwife, you're a martial arts instructor, for God's sake! You knock people out, you don't do surgery on them."

"I only knock people out when they deserve it," her husband objected. "And I think it'd be really cool to get to deliver my own baby, we could bond—"

"No, Baelfire! You can bond all you like in the hospital nursery and watch the doctor who knows what she's doing deliver and maybe you can give _her_ tips on how it's done," Emma said firmly. "But if you think I'm having this baby at home so you can play Dr. Gold Medicine Man, you're cracked!"

"Emma, don't you trust me?"

"Yes, dear. I trust you to drive me to the hospital when I say it's time," she said, and grinned at him.

"Okay, wild swan," Bae sighed, surrendering gracefully to his loving spouse.

"And I'm having the car get tuned up and the tires checked a week before I'm due and thank God it's in the spring so there won't be any snowstorms," Emma said in relief.

Just then Regina piped up with, "Daddy, when are we having a baby?"

Charming blinked, then looked at his daughter. "What do you mean, Regina?"

"I mean, when's you and Mommy having a baby? I want a baby brother like Dylan."

"Uhh . . . er . . ." he glanced helplessly at Snow.

"Sweetie, Mommy and Daddy aren't . . . ready yet to have another baby," Snow coughed, while the other adults started smirking and Jimmy was laughing into his napkin. "I mean, we have you and Princess to take care of, and a new baby . . . well, it can wait."

Regina looked upset. "No, it can't, Mommy! Your biological clock's ticking! I heard Ruby say so."

At that point, Emma, Bae, and Rumple all started laughing hysterically, as Snow turned beet red and David groaned.

"I don't believe this! Regina, you shouldn't repeat everything you hear."

Jimmy was puzzled. "Huh? What's a biological clock?"

That made Rumple start laughing even harder.

"Tell you later, little brother," Bae gasped. "Once I . . . catch my breath!"

At the other end of the table, Henry exchanged glances with Alina. "See, I _told_ you this family's crazy!"

**A/N: Thanks everyone for all your support and so glad you like this story!**


	5. Regina's Wish

**5**

**Regina's Wish**

During the next two days, Belle slept for much of the time, and so did the twins, inbetween nursing, recovering her strength from the birth. Rumple had a special spell cast over the bedroom so it would alert him if Belle or one of the babies was distressed and needed him, though his cat and his collie pup served just as well to come and get him when necessary.

Alice came over to help for the first week, and had Grace, Alina, and Henry help also when they came home from school. Even Jimmy learned how to burp and hold a baby, though at first he was as nervous as a fish out of water. But Alice didn't tolerate "missish" behavior, as she called it, and soon the young man was well versed in rocking a baby to sleep as well.

When Belle was sleeping, Rumple usually took over twin duty, unless he was busy doing something else, like working half days in shop. Both parents agreed that they would have to try and get the babies on a schedule soon, and at some point also get them accustomed to feeding from a bottle, so Rumple could give Belle a break at night.

But right then, Belle nursed both babies, so they could get all the necessary nutrients and immunity from her milk. They soon learned that while Daria was the more vocal twin, Dylan was also capable of making his wants known, and he was also the more persistent of the pair. Both twins were also very attuned to one another, and often cried in tandem, and slept holding each other's hand. And usually when one fell asleep, the other did as well, and the same went for waking up.

They had brought the twins to get checked by Dr. Jo two days after they were born, so they could be officially registered and their weight taken and other pertinent information placed in their charts, and Belle could be examined as well. All of them were pronounced healthy and thriving, and Dr. Jo told Rumple he ought to be her assistant after getting through a difficult birth like this.

Rumple had laughingly refused and told her that he'd just stick to being a sorcerer and an attorney, that one twin birth was enough for him.

When the twins were almost a week old, Regina came to visit again one night, since Snow had end-of-the-year conferences with parents and David his weekly board meeting. She was curious about the babies, and had been thinking all week about them having fairy powers. So she insisted on wearing her fairy godmother costume to the house, so she could show the twins how a "real" fairy dressed.

When she arrived, Alina was cooking some shepherd's pie while Jimmy set the table and Rumple was changing Daria while Belle showered. After stopping in the kitchen to grab an apple cider donut, Regina skipped upstairs to see her uncle and the babies.

"Unca Rumple, I's here!" she called as she pushed open the bedroom door.

"Hello, dearie," he greeted her, he had his daughter lying on a small changing pad on the bed and was applying some ointment to her bottom.

"Whatcha doin' with Daria?" Regina asked, watching him with interest.

"I'm changing her. And putting this ointment on so she doesn't get a rash," Rumple explained.

"Oh," the toddler said. "I 'member once Mommy put medicine on my butt 'cause I had a rash from dyer-rear."

"You had what?" Rumple repeated, trying not to bust out laughing at her odd pronunciation of the word.

"You know, when you poop too much," she said, rolling her eyes. Grown-ups! Sometimes they were clueless, though her uncle was usually brighter than most of them.

"Ah. Umm . . . well, this is so she doesn't get one," Rumple said, his lips quivering.

Regina peered at her cousin. "Hiya, Daria. You look better now, not so much like a raisin." Then she noticed something else. "Unca Rumple, what's that black thingy on her tummy?"

"That's just where she had the cord cut, dearie. It'll fall off in a few weeks or so."

"Oh. That's good, 'cause it looks ugly and she don't need that, she's already got problems."

Gold had just finished diapering the baby when that comment came out of the little minx's mouth, and he had to lean on the bed as he started laughing hysterically.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Ah, Regina," her uncle managed to say after a few moments. "You're a trip, dearie!"

The little girl shook her head. "No. I's a fairy godmother," she corrected, and waved around her light up wand pointedly.

Rumple chuckled and gently placed Daria back in the bassinet beside a sleepy Dylan. They had just been fed, and were now contentedly resting.

Just then the phone rang. "I have to get that, dearie. So you stay here and watch the twins for a minute, okay?" Rumple said, and went to grab the cordless from its base in the hallway.

"'Kay, Unca Rumple!" Regina nodded. Then she climbed up onto the bed so she could look at the babies while he talked on the phone. The babies made soft cooing noises and held each other's hands. Regina smiled at them, listening to them and the shower running in the master bathroom.

Freya was curled up on the floor beside the bed, as she seemed to enjoy being close to the twins, and Nala was next to her. Both animals were very protective of the babies and would bark or meow if they were crying and their parents didn't come and see what was the matter quick enough.

Regina gazed down at the babies, who were starting to look less red and wrinkled, and develop more normal skin tone and their hair now stood up in fuzzy aurioles around their head. Daria had Rumple's light brown hair and Dylan's was a bit darker and slightly reddish.

"Ya know, if you've gots fairy powers, then I guess it means you can grant wishes right?" she said to them, reaching in to take first Dylan's hand and then Daria's in her own. "Cause all fairies can do that. An' since I'm your fairy godmother, I gots sumpin' to ask you," she told them earnestly. "See, I need a baby brother, so's I gots someone to play with, an' Mommy needs help 'cause her biological clock's ticking, an' Daddy's clueless."

The twins' eyes suddenly tracked on her, smoky blue and bright green.

Regina continued. "So, here's the deal. You help me get a baby, an' I'll help you when you're in trouble with Unca Rumple an' Auntie Belle. Have we got a deal?"

Dylan cooed up at her. So did Daria.

"'kay. Now 'member, you don't break deals with me, dearie! It's not allowed!" she lectured sternly. When it seemed like the twins understood that very important point, she said, "I wish that my mama and daddy were havin' a baby! It can be a boy or a girl, but I wish they was havin' one right now!" She closed her eyes when she wished, repeating the wish three times, because three was a magic number.

Thus she didn't see the golden glowing sparkles suddenly surround their clasped hands.

When she opened them, she thought for a second the twins were kinda glowy, but when she blinked, the glow light was gone, and just the lamp from the bedside table was shining on them.

Regina gently freed her hands from them and picked up a small stuffed Hungry Caterpiller rattle hanging off the bassinet handle. "Now this is the Hungry Cat'r'pillar. And he was always very hungry, it's why it was his name," she explained to the twins, showing them the toy and making it inch along the top of the bassinet. "An' he ate a whole apple on Monday . . ."

As she told the story to her captive audience, Belle came out of the bathroom dressed in her peach lounge set with fuzzy socks on, her hair in a terry turban and called, "Rumple? Would you mind helping me with my hair?" Then she saw Regina beside the bassinet. "Hi, Regina! Are my babies being good for you?"

"Yup, we's havin' storytime," the toddler announced. "I's tellin' them 'bout the Hungry Cat'r'pillar!"

"How lovely!" Belle said, and came forwards to hug her niece. "I'm sure you're doing a great job."

"I'm twying," she told her aunt, kissing Belle on the cheek. "Only I'm not as good as Unca Rumple yet. I can't do the voices."

"Well, I'm sure you're very good, and most of us can't do voices like him, sweetie," Belle laughed.

"What can't you do?" asked her husband, coming back into the room.

"Voices when you tells stories," Regina informed him.

"Oh, you mean like this?" he said, and he picked up the fuzzy butterfly and said in a high sweet voice, "I'm Madam Butterfly, and I like to flitter all over!" Then he made the butterfly flutter over to Regina and give her kiss. "Butterfly kisses!"

Regina started giggling. "More, Unca Rumple!"

"I like to kiss everybody!" he squeaked, then he made the butterfly kiss the twins, who were dozing, and then Belle, and back to Regina once again.

Belle smiled at her husband, who rarely let his whimsical playful side come out in mixed company, only in private with his family, and she took the towel off her head and let down her hair.

Rumple saw, and handed the butterfly hand-puppet to Regina, saying, "Here, dearie. You play now, I have to help Auntie Belle with her hair."

He summoned a brush off the dresser and sat next to his wife, gently combing her deep auburn strands while Regina played happily with the butterfly and the caterpillar on the bed beside the twins, making the caterpillar cry, "I chase the butterfly, and the butterfly chases me!"

In their sleep, Daria and Dylan smiled, and a few golden sparks drifted through the air.

**A/N: Well? Do you think Regina's wish will come true? Also, if you haven't read it, I posted a new GS one-shot called Storytime with Mr. Gold. Let me know what you think, please!**


	6. Unexpected

**Unexpected**

Snow came to pick up Regina after her set of conferences for half her class that evening. When she arrived, she was greeted by Alina, whose shepherd's pie had been a great hit at dinner. "Hi, Snow! Regina and Mama and Papa are in the den with the twins, they're playing with them on the toy quilt," she told the schoolteacher. The toy quilt was what they all called the triple thick quilt with baby blocks, giraffes, roses, lions, and puppies that Belle had made with Alice, and they put the babies on it and played with them with their toy rattles, soft hand puppets, stuffed animals, and sang silly songs to them, like "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Bingo" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider".

Jimmy was busy trying to make some of his pictures into a collage at the kitchen table—it was eventually going to be a gift to Belle and Rumple, a kind of baby gift in a way, even though the collage featured all the Gold children and their parents, not only Dylan and Daria. It also had the Gold pets. "Hey, Mrs. Nolan," he waved at her as he arranged the pictures on a large piece of cardboard before gluing them down.

"That looks very nice, Jimmy," Snow said, peering at the collage.

"Uh . . . thanks. Err . . . it's not finished yet," he admitted, looking half-embarrassed.

"But it's a lovely piece," Snow praised.

Jimmy just blushed and looked down at the photographs.

Snow smiled at him, then went into the living room where Belle, Rumple, and Regina were all sitting on the floor surrounding the twins on the quilt, taking turns playing with them.

Though they were still very tiny, the twins seemed to be more alert than most newborns, and made funny little cooing and squeaking noises when Belle, Rumple, and Regina played with them.

The climbing trellis of roses and violets had exploded into bloom, and the sweet scent permeated the room.

Belle had Daria's little foot in one hand, and was singing, "This little piggy went to market, and this little piggy stayed home," as she gently tickled her daughter's toes.

Daria was cooing and making funny faces at her mother, her hands reaching out to grab Belle's hair.

Rumple was tickling Dylan's tummy, and the baby was sort of giggling and waving his feet and hands, his green eyes glowing as his father then played peek-a-boo and made silly faces whenever he removed his hands from his eyes.

Both parents were in casual clothing, Belle in another comfy lounge outfit, and Rumple in his gray and purple plaid pajama bottoms with his fuzzy slippers. As he straightened up, Snow got a look at the T-shirt he was wearing and started laughing so hard she almost choked.

"Oh my God! Rumple, _where_ did you get that shirt?"

The sorcerer grinned at her. "Hey, Snow. Come to join playtime?" He beckoned to her. Then he pointed at himself. "This shirt? Alice gave it to me as new papa gift. I swear, I think she makes them or something."

It was a soft heather purple color and in bold royal purple letters were the words, "_If a man calls you ugly, he's being nasty. If a woman calls you ugly, she's being vindictive, but if a kid calls you ugly—you're UG-LY!—Truth From Children's Mouths._"

Snow moved over to see the babies, and knelt on the rug and cooed at Dylan and Daria. "Hello, precious babies!" she let the twins grab her fingers and suck on them.

They all laughed when Dylan made a face and spat her finger out.

"No, that's not as good as milk, is it, sweet thing?" Snow giggled.

"Mommy! I told the babies a story," Regina cried, and tugged on her mother's sleeve.

Snow turned around to look at her daughter, while at the same time Rumple reached for a puppet behind him and Belle for a little plastic mirror.

Thus everyone missed the flash of golden sparkles that surrounded Snow's hands for a brief instant.

When the adults and Regina turned back to them, the twins were smirking slightly, and making small impatient noises.

"Oh, Belle, they're so adorable!" Snow said, tickling Daria under the chin.

"Mommy, when are we gonna have one?" Regina asked again.

"Oh, sweetie. Not for awhile yet. Maybe next year," Snow hedged. "In the meantime you can play with Uncle Rumple's babies."

Regina nodded, but hoped her wish would come true. She gave the twins a secret smile before picking up a bluebird puppet and singing, "Chirp chirp says the robin, buzz buzz says the bee . . ." while making it "fly" over the babies' heads.

"It's amazing she's not jealous of them, considering a week ago she was the baby of the family," Snow marveled.

"They're new and interesting, dearie," Rumple chuckled. "But she could become a wee bit jealous later, when I start to do more with them, and she sees she doesn't have my undivided attention anymore."

"Well, you would know, Rumple," murmured Snow.

She kissed the babies on the forehead and then said, "Regina, we need to get going. Daddy is probably home from his meeting now and he'll be missing us."

"Okay, Mommy. But let me finish singing first," her daughter said, then commenced singing, "Rock-a-bye Baby".

Snow smiled lovingly at her baby girl and thought that maybe it might not be a bad idea to have another baby. She would have to discuss it with David tonight.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

_Two months later:_

David had just set a platter of waffles with cinnamon and maple syrup on the table, along with a plate of bacon, when Snow suddenly got up from the table and raced into the bathroom.

"Huh? Honey, is something wrong?" he called, puzzled.

Regina looked after her too. "Daddy, is Mommy sick?"

"Umm . . . I don't know," David admitted. "Snow, are you okay?"

"Daddy!" Regina said exasperatedly. "Go and see!"

David hesitated, then he got up and knocked gently at the bathroom door. "Snow, are you sick?"

The bathroom door opened a crack and his wife said, rather peevishly, "No, David. I'm just throwing up for the fun of it."

"Is it something you ate?" he asked worriedly. "You want some ginger ale?"

"Yes to the ginger ale, and no, it could be some kind of stomach flu. Some of my kids had that a few days ago," she groaned.

But she thought that somehow the smell of the syrup was what triggered this bout of nausea. She bit her lip. Then she put a hand to her mouth as she realized something. Sweet smelling foods had bothered her only one other time in her life.

When she had been pregnant with Emma.

_No. It can't be,_ she thought. _We've been using protection . . . except for that time on my birthday, when we were kind of drunk after the concert, and I sort of forgot to remind David . . ._

She cupped her hand over her still flat stomach and wondered if she ought to make a quick trip to Clark's Pharmacy.

Then she came out and drank some ginger ale and had some buttered toast and fruit for breakfast while Regina and David ate the waffles and bacon. Oddly enough, after about ten minutes, her stomach stopped complaining and she felt better.

Since today was a Saturday, David was able to be home with Regina and Princess, and the two spent the rest of the morning playing fetch with the growing Dalmatian puppy in the park while Snow went shopping.

Snow went to the grocery store first to buy food and snacks for the week, and then made a quick stop at Clark's, happy that Tom was not there to ring her up for once and see what she had purchased. She tucked the purchase in her purse and drove home.

Once she had put everything away, she went into the bathroom.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

David was pushing Regina on the swings when his cell rang. He gave the swing another quick push and dug the phone out of his pants pocket and answered it. "Hello? Oh, hi, darling. What's up?"

He nearly dropped the phone when he heard what she said.

"David? David, what happened? Did we get cut off?"

"Umm . . . no, it's just . . . are you sure?"

"Of course I am!"

"Oh. Okay. That's great, hon! Wait'll I tell Regina. Oh, okay, I'll wait then."

He hung up the phone, then said, "Regina, how about we go home now? Mommy has a surprise for you."

"She does? Cool!" Regina squealed. Then she hopped off the swing and grabbed Princess's lead, which David had tied around one leg of the swingset.

Princess was lying down in the grass, but jumped to her feet when Regina came over to her, wagging her tail and licking the child.

"C'mon, Princess! Let's go home!" Regina laughed, shoving the puppy's muzzle away.

Then she tugged at the dog's leash and cried, "Hurry, Daddy! I wanna see what the surprise is!"

Soon they were walking back down the street towards the loft.

Once they were upstairs inside, Regina dropped Princess's leash on the floor and ran over to Snow. "Mommy! Where's the surprise?"

Snow went and picked her up. "Well . . . do you remember how you said you'd like to have a baby brother after Auntie Belle had the twins?"

"Uh huh. Why?"

"Because . . . I'm going to have a baby," Snow announced.

"Whoo-hoo!" Regina cheered, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Then she hugged her mother. "My wish came true!"

David started laughing. "What wish, minx?"

"The one I made a long time ago," Regina answered. "I wished for a baby brother or sister. And Unca Rumple's babies helped me."

Snow looked puzzled. "They helped you? How?"

"Cause they's fairy babies, Mommy. How else?"

"Sweetie, they're too little to do anything with their powers yet," David said. "Trust me. Henry and Alina didn't do magic until they were ten."

Regina huffed at him. "Daddy, they're different!" she was rather irritated that he didn't believe her. Then again, he was a grown-up and clueless about magic. She was sure if she told Unca Rumple, _he'd_ believe her.

"Mommy, is it a boy or a girl?" she asked next.

"I don't know, Regina. I guess we'll have to wait and see," Snow said. "It should be born . . . err . . . in October sometime, I think."

"Cool! A Halloween baby!" Regina yelled happily.

"Could be," David said, then he went and hugged his wife and daughter. He couldn't believe this had happened, it was like a miracle, an unexpected one, but a still a welcome surprise.

He couldn't wait to tell Emma and the rest of the family.

At the rate the family was growing, they were going to need another photo album really soon.

**A/N: Okay, now what should Snowing's baby be? Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!**


	7. Family Affairs

**7**

**Family Affairs**

The sound of a baby crying echoed through Gold's Victorian, as Rumple quickly shook a bottle of milk and tested some on his wrist before feeding his hungry son, who was wrapped in the Snuggli against him. His sister was in the small bouncy chair on the kitchen table, playing with her foot. Alina was in school, and Belle had gone shopping with Alice for some groceries, so it was just Rumple and Jimmy with the twins that morning.

Jimmy had finished his collage last night, but had asked Belle to please get him a frame for it and was planning on giving it to them that night. He was currently outside shoveling the walk, as it had snowed again a day ago.

"All right, don't be in such a rush, dearie," crooned the pawnbroker as he fed Dylan his bottle.

His green-eyed son was more active now and seemed to be growing bigger everyday, just like his twin. He greedily drank, while Rumple rocked the little seat with Daria in it, and drank his coffee.

Things were still hectic around the house, as they were still trying to get the babies on a regular schedule, but Rumple didn't mind. It was a good kind of craziness. He gently removed the nipple from his son's mouth, and the baby fussed. "Hey, now you quit complaining, little Green Man," Rumple cooed as he put the baby on his shoulder. "You need to burp, Dylan."

As he began patting and rubbing his son's back, Jimmy came in the door and kicked off his boots, then removed his coat and hat and hung them in the closet, wincing as he did so.

"Uh, Mr. Gold? There's some lady here to see you . . . she says she's a nun," Jimmy told him, padding into the kitchen in his socks, one hand on his lower back.

Rumple scowled. "The Blue Fairy's here? Damned interfering bug!" Then he noticed the way the younger man was walking. "What happened? You pull something?"

"Umm . . . I slipped and fell," the teenager admitted. "Landed right on my ass. I'll live."

Gold frowned. "Hang on a minute and I'll take a look." Just then his son burped. "Good job, Dylan." He gently tucked the baby back into the Snuggli and then said to Jimmy, "Turn around so I can see what you've done to yourself."

"Mr. Gold . . . no, I'm fine . . . I . . ." the boy sighed and at a Look obeyed. "Really, it doesn't even hurt—oww!" he yelped as Rumple pressed gently on his tailbone.

"Hmm . . . you've probably bruised your tailbone—" Gold began.

"What are you doing, torturing that boy, Gold?" demanded Blue icily as she stalked into the house.

The babies started to cry then.

"Blue. I don't recall telling you to come in," Gold said coldly.

"Your hospitality is lacking," she snorted. "Now what are you doing to the boy?"

"Hey, lady. Chill out, he's helping me," Jimmy said, eyeing the tall woman with dislike. He straightened up as much as he could.

"You don't need his sort of help," the Blue Fairy sneered. "It always comes with a price."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, nothing's for free. Besides, who asked you?"

Blue's eyes narrowed. "You ill-mannered whelp! Then again, you keep company with the Dark One, so I shouldn't expect anything more."

"Lady, you need to get off your high horse and unbutton your habit, before you strangle from denial. Maybe if you quit being such a—" Jimmy began.

"Jimmy!" Rumple interrupted whatever impertinent comment the pirate would have made. "Go and take a hot bath. That'll help. I'll handle her."

Jimmy hesitated. "You sure?"

"Perfectly. Go," he waved at the boy.

Jimmy went, but not before he sneered at Blue and muttered, "Tight ass cleric!"

"Who's that? Your newest apprentice?" Blue snapped.

"His name is Jimmy Jones, and he's Bae's half-brother," answered Rumple. "And therefore family. Why are you here, Blue? I didn't invite you." He rocked his son and then gave him the rest of the bottle. "If you've come to congratulate me, do it and leave, because I'm too busy for small talk, dearie."

She eyed him with dislike. "I've come to see the children." She peered at Dylan, her eyes sharpening. "He bears some of our powers." Then she looked over at Daria, who screwed up her small face and screamed at the fairy. "But she has more. She'll need to be trained by me when she's of age, lest dark forces taint her."

"Over my dead body will you teach any child of mine!" spat Rumple, his eyes glittering with a savage protectiveness. "I won't have you twisting her with your honeyed poison, making her hate me, because you're convinced I'm still a dark sorcerer. Now get out! You're scaring my children and you're unwanted and unwelcome here!"

Daria's howls brought Freya and Nala in to investigate. Nala jumped onto the table and stalked towards the invading fairy, her fur on end and her tail fluffed, ears flat against her head, and growling like a tigress.

Freya raced up and jumped right on the Blue Fairy, barking and growling shrilly.

"Ahh! Get away from me!" Blue yelped. "Call off your familiars, Gold!"

Rumple was smirking. "Why? Can't you talk to them yourself?"

"They're not . . . listening to me!" Blue snapped, as Nala hissed at her and glared at her through narrowed eyes.

Freya promptly nipped her ankles, causing the normally sedate nun to shriek like a child getting paddled, and run towards the door, the collie herding her on her way with sharp nips and barks.

"Just you wait, Rumplestiltskin!" Blue howled. "You're going to rue the day! Oww! Wretched beast, I'm not a sheep! Leave off!"

"Not likely, dearie!" Rumple chortled.

Suddenly she vanished, transforming into her fairy self, and flew out the door of the Victorian like her wings were on fire.

"Freya, come!" he whistled the collie to him and waved a hand so the door shut.

The puppy trotted over to him, and was rewarded with a meaty bone and her ears scratched, while Nala got some sardines in a plate and her chin rubbed after he finished petting the collie. "That's my good girls! Send that nasty blue bug running for the hills. I've got to alter the protection spell over the house, to not admit her or anyone she's sent, just in case. And here's one for you two, in case she tries anything."

He waved his hand and a shiny spinning wheel tag appeared on Freya's pink collar and a spinning wheel button on Nala's green one.

Then he finished feeding Dylan, while gently singing to calm Daria down, who also had Nala purring in her ear next to her. Once his son was drowsing in the Snuggli, he picked up Daria to cuddle against his shoulder, murmuring, "It's okay, babydoll, Papa's got you. No one's going to hurt you or take you anywhere."

Gradually, his daughter stopped wailing as the frightening feeling left her, and her father's voice and hands soothed her so she dozed against him.

He summoned the bassinet and put it in the kitchen so he could keep an eye on the two while they slept, he wanted them close by, but he also needed to cook something to eat for breakfast.

He had just finished making scrambled eggs with onions, sausage, and peppers mixed in it when Jimmy came down again.

"That smells great!" he said, sniffing the air appreciatively. "What is it?"

"Just a sausage scramble," Gold replied, putting it into a serving bowl and floating it to the table, along with some English muffins spread with butter. "How are you feeling now? A little better?"

"Yeah. Though I think I'm gonna need a pillow or something," sighed the pirate.

"Come over here. I can heal you," Rumple beckoned to him.

"No, it's okay," Jimmy said, alarmed.

Gold frowned at him. "Why are you so skittish? It won't hurt."

The boy looked skeptical. "It won't? But . . . every other time some magician healed me it hurt like hell."

"Did it? And what kind of magicians were they?"

"Uh . . . island priestesses mostly. They trafficked with the old gods, the dark ones," he admitted.

"And those gods demanded pain for their aid and their power," Rumple told him. "That's why it hurt. But this won't. Magic's price is mine to pay, not yours."

"Will it hurt you?"

"No. It'll just make me a bit tired. Come here."

Jimmy reluctantly came beside him. "Mr. Gold, you don't have to—"

"Hush, boy. Why be in pain when you don't have to be?" he scolded mildly. He placed his hand gently on the teen's lower back. "Just relax." Then he sent a gentle pulse of healing energy into the boy, mending the injury. "There! All done! Want a lollipop?"

Jimmy smirked. "Funny, Mr. Gold. Hey, it doesn't hurt at all. Thanks!"

"Not a problem, now go and eat before it gets cold," Gold urged, setting the dishes in the sink to soak.

As they ate breakfast, Jimmy said quietly, "Who was that tightass bitch anyway?" Then he nearly choked on a piece of English muffin when he realized what he'd said.

Gold swatted him on the back, then said, "Language," in mild reproof before sitting back down. "And that was the Blue Fairy, who was always a judgmental hypocrite, as well as what you just said." While he finished his own breakfast, he explained to Jimmy about the history between himself, Bae, and Blue.

By the time they'd finished breakfast, Belle and Alice were back from the store. Belle was ready to spit when she heard about Blue's sudden visit. "She's lucky I wasn't here, Rumple!" she declared, her blue eyes flashing. "Because I'd have helped her right out the door, the harpy, with my boot up her ass!"

"Amen, sister! And I've got a flyswatter in my glove compartment," Alice added, putting away some vegetables in the fridge.

Jimmy started laughing. "That'd be something to see! I'd have had to take pictures." He glanced questioningly at Alice, who nodded and pointed to a bag next to the groceries.

Jimmy took the bag and went upstairs with it, and Alice, Belle, and Rumple finished putting away all the groceries while the twins slept in the bassinet.

No sooner did that get completed then there came a knock on the door, and then it opened to reveal Regina and David.

"What's this, Visit the Golds Day?" joked Alice as the little girl ran into the house.

"Unca Rumple, Auntie Belle, guess what?" she half-yelled.

"Shh! The babies are sleeping, minx!" Rumple shushed her.

"Okay!" she whispered back, grabbing his leg. "But guess what?"

"What, Little Big Mouth?"

"Mommy's having a baby!"

"David, Snow's pregnant?" Rumple asked, startled.

"Yeah, she found out two days ago," answered David happily. "It's kind of unexpected but . . . who cares?"

"Congratulations, sugar!" Alice grinned. "You're gonna need to open a daycare before long!"

"If we do, you can run it," Belle teased.

"Haha. No thanks! You think I'm crazy?" her friend chuckled.

"Unca Rumple, I wished for this to happen, and Daria and Dylan helped me," Regina put in.

"Rumple, she keeps saying that," Charming said. "I've told her that's not possible, your kids are too young for their powers to manifest like that—"

"Daddy, no they're not! They's got fairy powers so they can grant wishes!"

"Regina—"

"Hold on, David. She may have something there. My compendium states that those with fairy blood or traits in them can use their powers as easily as breathing," Rumple explained. "And we saw evidence of that when they were born. Flowers burst into bloom when Dylan was born and they still do around him, and my pets talk to Daria, they're always around her."

"And then there was the incident yesterday," Belle reminded him. "When a bone for Freya and a toy mouse for Nala just appeared out of nowhere in the bedroom while we were feeding the twins."

"Yes. Scared the hell out of me at first, until I realized the babies could have summoned them or something like it."

"But Rumple, I thought you had to be able to . . . err . . . focus and stuff to do magic!" Charming cried.

"You do . . . if we're talking about conventional magic. But fairy magic is different. Fairy magic reacts to the deepest desires of your heart, and that's why most fairies interact with children, because those pure in heart will evoke a natural response with wishing magic. So while my children are too little to consciously use their powers, the magic in them responded to Regina, and there you are."

David gaped at the twins. "Hell, I'd better watch what I think around them!"

"Me too!" Jimmy cried.

Rumple chuckled. "It doesn't work like that. You have to really want something and it probably doesn't work all the time either. Even so, I think I'm going to see about making a few magical bracelets to contain their wish power until they're old enough to handle it."

He hugged Regina. "So now you're going to be a big sister, huh?"

"Yup. I am! And I'm gonna teach the baby everything I know!"

"Oh God!" Alice cracked up.

David groaned. "I'm moving to a deserted island!"

Regina scowled. "Daddy! You ain't allowed to move to a dessert island! Mommy's gonna need help with the baby, so's you can't just sit there and eat ice cream all day."

Everyone started laughing at that statement, and Rumple said, "The queen has spoken, Charming!" before he tweaked his niece's nose.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

Later on that night, while the family was relaxing in the den, reading and playing Words With Friends, in Alina's case, Jimmy slipped upstairs and brought down the framed collage.

"Umm . . . Mr. Gold? Here. It's a . . . baby gift." He handed the wrapped collage to Rumple.

"Jimmy, you didn't have to get anything," Rumple began, and then unwrapped the package while Belle rocked the twins. His eyes widened when he saw what was inside. "Jimmy, did you make this?"

"Yeah, from pictures I took with my camera," the pirate murmured. "It's not very good . . ."

"On the contrary," Rumple disagreed. "Look, Belle! It's our whole family!"

He showed her the collage, which had as its central theme the twins with Belle and Rumple holding them, and the rest of the family in various candid shots around them, including Nala, Freya, and Princess. Beneath the pictures, in gold lettering were the words, _Gold Family Portrait_ and in smaller letters, _created by James Jones._

"Wow, Jimmy! It's awesome!" Alina said, peering at it. Then she went to Im Henry about it.

"Jimmy, it's beautiful!" Belle cried. "Rumple, let's put it on the wall in the foyer. There's a space right there where it can go."

"You're right. But first I think I need to add something," Rumple said.

"Add something, sir? Did I forget someone?" Jimmy asked sheepishly.

"Yes." He waved a hand and a picture appeared next to the one of the twins and himself and Belle. "Yourself. You're a part of this family too."

He showed Jimmy the now completed collage.

The boy blushed. "Uh . . . thanks . . .Uncle Rumple."

"No, thank you, son. Now go and put it where it belongs," Rumple said and handed it back to the boy.

Jimmy carried it over to where there was a hook on the wall of the foyer, right across from the door, and hung the collage there, where everyone who came to visit would see it.

The former pirate stepped back and admired it for a moment, thinking _I'll need to add two new babies when they're born, but for now their—my-family is complete._

He made his way back into the den, just in time for Belle to hand him Dylan, and say, "I believe it's your turn to rock the baby, Jimmy."

"Sure, Aunt Belle," he smiled, and then laughed when Dylan grabbed his nose.

Rumple smiled as he looked at his family, which was growing by leaps and bounds, and thought for once things were close to perfect. Though it was anyone's guess how long it would last.


End file.
